Untitled (dog wearing "mascot" cape pretending to drive firetruck) c. 1950

Editor: This is an untitled photograph by Jack Gould, currently held at the Harvard Art Museums. It depicts a dog, seemingly dressed as a mascot, pretending to drive a firetruck. It’s certainly whimsical! What strikes you most about its composition? Curator: The inverted tonality immediately arrests the eye. The stark contrast and play of light and shadow create a disorienting, almost dreamlike, space. How does this manipulation of light affect your perception of the subject matter? Editor: It does create a strange, unsettling effect. What's the purpose, do you think, of presenting it in this inverted way? Curator: Perhaps to destabilize our reading of the image? To force a reconsideration of the familiar? The reversal encourages a focus on form and texture, almost abstracting the dog and the firetruck. Editor: I see what you mean, focusing on the shapes rather than the objects themselves. Curator: Precisely. It transcends mere representation, inviting a deeper engagement with the photographic medium itself. Editor: Interesting, I'll certainly look at photography differently. Thanks.