Untitled (painted mural on wall behind starcase) c. 1950

Curator: This intriguing mural, an untitled work by Jack Gould, adorns a wall behind a staircase. Editor: It feels like a palimpsest—layers upon layers obscuring something just out of reach. Is it meant to convey the weight of history? Curator: Precisely. Given the socio-political context, I wonder if the figures represent laborers and the working class, their forms deliberately blurred to symbolize their struggle for visibility. Editor: I see a procession of figures, archetypal rather than individual, perhaps conveying the collective memory of a community. Curator: It’s a compelling visual essay on the dynamics of power and representation, how certain narratives become dominant while others are relegated to the background. Editor: Yes, the figures' anonymity, the way they're woven into the architectural space, speaks volumes about collective identity. Curator: It encourages us to contemplate whose stories are prioritized and whose are marginalized. Editor: A fascinating intersection of form and socio-historical commentary.