Untitled (rear view of poodle wearing dress and shoes perching on box) 1957

Editor: So, here we have Jack Gould's "Untitled (rear view of poodle wearing dress and shoes perching on box)," a gelatin silver print. It's quite small, and the contrast is stark. I find it strangely melancholic. What do you make of it? Curator: Melancholic, yes! Perhaps a touch absurd, too? That poodle, perched so formally, yet dressed as a child playing dress-up. I wonder, is it about the roles we assign, the fantasies we project onto the innocent? Editor: Roles? Fantasies? Curator: Think of the poodle as a blank canvas. We see what we want, don't we? Maybe it's a commentary on loneliness, a longing for connection. Or perhaps it's just a funny picture of a dog in shoes! Editor: It’s more than just a funny picture. I now see it as a conversation starter, about identity and perception. Curator: Exactly! Art, at its best, invites us to look deeper, even at a poodle in miniature shoes.