Untitled ("A bullock hackery") c. 1860 - 1880

Curator: Here we have Willoughby Wallace Hooper's small photographic print, "Untitled ('A bullock hackery')." Editor: It feels so still, almost suspended in time. A man, very composed, sits in this simple cart pulled by an ox. Curator: Notice how Hooper captures light, delineating the scene's formal elements. The circularity of the wheels, the horizontal line of the yoke... Editor: It's more than just geometry, though. There's a story hinted at. A journey, perhaps? I wonder about the driver's thoughts, the bullock's endurance. Curator: The photograph, I'd argue, presents a study in contrasts between man and beast, culture and nature. Editor: Maybe. Or maybe Hooper just saw a beautiful moment and captured its quiet poetry. Curator: A beautiful moment meticulously composed. Editor: And that composition gives us the space to dream.