Untitled (water polo players in pool) c. 1950

Curator: This photograph, by Jack Gould, is simply titled "Untitled (water polo players in pool)." Editor: Gosh, it's intense. All that splashing, you can practically feel the chill of the water. Curator: The image, though small, speaks volumes about athletic competition and the male form. It's interesting to consider how masculinity is performed within the competitive space of sports, particularly regarding the assumed exclusion of queer identities. Editor: Huh. I mostly think of childhood summers and the chlorine smell. It's got a kind of nostalgic energy, even with the struggle for the ball. Curator: And the framing itself, the way the image sits within the larger photographic plate, speaks to the layered nature of observation and representation. Editor: Absolutely. Makes you wonder what else Gould was seeing when he snapped this shot. Maybe even what he was feeling?