Untitled (comedian dancing and jumping and clicking feet together) 1947

Curator: This is an intriguing gelatin silver print by Jack Gould, simply titled "Untitled (comedian dancing and jumping and clicking feet together)". Editor: The energy practically leaps out, doesn't it? The figure suspended mid-air, a burst of pure, unadulterated joy. Curator: It's the embodiment of performance and societal expectations. The minstrelsy iconography is hard to ignore—the suit, the pose—it begs questions about representation and agency. Editor: The exaggerated gesture, though, feels like a modern-day Hermes, messenger of the gods, or maybe even the trickster archetype—disrupting order with humor. What readings does this offer about the body, race and history? Curator: Precisely. Gould captures the complex interplay between historical stereotype and individual expression. It is unsettling. Editor: Yes. This image makes us think about the enduring power of symbols, even in the fleeting moment.