Untitled (two men mowing lawn outside large house) c. 1950

Curator: This is an untitled work by Jack Gould, currently held in the Harvard Art Museums. It captures two men mowing a lawn outside a large house. What strikes you first? Editor: It’s the stillness, almost ghostly. The inverted tones give this everyday scene a surreal, quiet energy. You almost hear the hum of the lawnmower, but in a dream. Curator: The image is a negative. This treatment transforms a familiar scene into something slightly unsettling. How does that affect its meaning? Editor: Well, it's definitely about the contrast between labor and leisure, right? The men are working to maintain this pristine space, but the photograph feels more about the emptiness of success. Curator: Interesting observation, the inverted color seems to highlight the socio-economic dynamic between the labor and the residence. Editor: Exactly, I hadn’t thought of it like that. It all feels a bit ominous, doesn’t it? But still, very beautifully composed. Curator: It makes you consider the social structures beneath the surface, doesn't it? Editor: Yes, what an eerie and beautiful slice of life.