Untitled (man applying lipstick and lip liner to woman's face) c. 1960

Editor: This small, untitled photograph by Jack Gould shows a man applying lipstick to a woman. The color palette feels very mid-century, almost like a still from a film. What do you see in this image? Curator: For me, it's all about the gaze. Hers is direct, challenging even. Is she complicit, or trapped in this act of beautification? It's unsettling, isn't it? It reminds me of those old Hollywood glamour shots, but with a subversive twist. Editor: I hadn’t considered the power dynamic, but you’re right. There’s something almost confrontational in her expression. Curator: Exactly! And that tension is what makes it so compelling, so human, and so, so relevant even now. It makes you wonder, doesn't it?