Untitled (man dressed as Santa Claus with reindeer) c. 1950

Curator: Oh, this little snapshot gives me the warmest fuzzies! It's "Untitled (man dressed as Santa Claus with reindeer)" by Jack Gould. Editor: The material reality clashes with the idealized image of Santa. Look at the rough harnesses, the slightly weary-looking reindeer—these aren't magical creatures, but working animals. Curator: Exactly! There's a beautiful tenderness in the everyday realness of it. Santa's not in some snow-covered wonderland; he's on, what looks like, a farm? Editor: The image also makes me consider the labor behind these constructed fantasies. Who made that Santa suit? How were the reindeer trained? Curator: I hadn't thought about that… but that does make me appreciate it more. It's like a backstage pass to Christmas. Editor: Ultimately, it's a reminder that even the most fantastical images are rooted in the material world. Curator: And that's the loveliest kind of magic, isn't it? The magic we make ourselves.