Untitled (two zebras at zoo) c. 1950

Curator: Here we have Jack Gould's silver gelatin print, "Untitled (two zebras at zoo)." Given the lack of information about its date, the piece invites reflection on photographic representation and animal captivity through a potentially timeless lens. Editor: My first thought? This photograph feels strangely intimate, almost dreamlike. The zebras behind the chainlink fence... they seem so exposed, so vulnerable. Curator: Indeed, Gould’s composition raises questions about spectatorship and power dynamics. The negative image intensifies the zebra’s stripes, transforming them into patterns of confinement, and forcing us to consider the ethics of the zoo as a site of observation. Editor: It's like the artist is saying, "Look at these beautiful creatures, reduced to specimens." I keep thinking about how their wildness is contained. It is a little heartbreaking. Curator: And doesn't that speak to broader themes of control, whether over nature, animals, or even human bodies through various forms of social constraint? Gould’s image becomes a mirror. Editor: Absolutely. I leave feeling a bit unsettled, but also with a renewed sense of responsibility toward the world around me. Curator: Gould has given us a photograph that prompts conversation. It moves beyond passive viewing into a deeper engagement with issues of freedom, representation, and the structures that confine us.