Untitled (two cats "standing" in boxing ring wearing mittens) 1946

Editor: Here we see "Untitled (two cats 'standing' in boxing ring wearing mittens)" by Jack Gould. It’s a black and white photograph. I find the scene playful, even humorous. What layers do you see beneath the surface? Curator: I find myself pondering the anthropomorphism at play. The cats, posed as boxers, bring up questions around power dynamics and performance, almost mocking the human obsession with competition and hierarchy. Where does the humor end and a critique of societal roles begin? Editor: That's interesting. So you see it less as a funny picture and more as social commentary? Curator: Precisely. It invites us to question how we project human constructs onto the animal world, and in doing so, perhaps reveals more about ourselves than the cats. Editor: That's a perspective I hadn't considered, it really shifts how I see the image. Thanks! Curator: Indeed, art always holds the possibility of broadening our perspective.