Untitled (two giraffes at zoo) c. 1950

Editor: Here we have Jack Gould’s small gelatin silver print, "Untitled (two giraffes at zoo)". I’m struck by how the texture of the brick wall seems to echo the giraffes' patterns. What do you see in the work? Curator: For me, it’s about the materiality of the photograph itself. We see the “Kodak Safety Film” stamp right on the image. It acknowledges the means of production. Look at how the animals are confined. It speaks to our consumption of nature. Editor: That’s a really interesting point. So, it’s less about the giraffes and more about what the image represents in terms of production and consumption? Curator: Precisely! It shifts the focus from subject to system.