Untitled (close-up view of large tank) c. 1948

Curator: This intriguing silver gelatin print comes from the Harvard Art Museums. It's an untitled work by Jack Gould, a close-up view of a large tank, measuring only about 5.7 by 5.7 centimeters. Editor: Wow, that tank feels massive and imposing, like some industrial behemoth looming over us. There’s a strange stillness to the image, a kind of quiet intensity. Curator: Indeed. Note the sharp contrasts, the interplay of light and shadow. The composition emphasizes the geometric forms, the rigid structure of both the tank and the wooden supports. The negative space creates a sense of depth, almost a void surrounding these objects. Editor: It makes me think about power, both in terms of physical scale and perhaps the unseen forces these tanks might contain. It's a little unsettling, but also strangely beautiful in its starkness. The wood is a nice contrast to the cold metal. Curator: Precisely. Gould's manipulation of light and form transforms a mundane industrial scene into a study of texture, shape, and the poetics of industrial design. Editor: It's funny how something so seemingly ordinary can become so compelling through the artist’s eye. I see it in a whole new light now.