Untitled (many people seated inside city bus) c. 1950

Editor: Here we have an untitled work by Jack Gould, showing many people seated inside a city bus. The image's high contrast gives it an otherworldly feel, almost like looking at ghosts on their daily commute. What draws your eye when you look at this piece? Curator: It’s funny you say ghosts! I see it, that sense of anonymity, of bodies packed together yet utterly alone. The negative effect intensifies this, turning the familiar into something…unsettling. And the sameness in their dress—or what appears to be sameness—does that speak to conformity, or something else? What do you think? Editor: It could be either, or both! The uniformity definitely amplifies the feeling of being just another face in the crowd. I'm starting to see the piece as a reflection on society itself. Curator: Exactly! Sometimes, art is like looking in a mirror, isn't it? You think you’re seeing one thing, but it reflects back something entirely unexpected.