Untitled (uniformed men in theater audience; men whistling) c. 1950

Curator: This photographic print by Jack Gould captures a theater audience of uniformed men. I'm immediately struck by the inversion of light—it lends the scene an ethereal, almost ghostly quality. Editor: It's a curious image, isn't it? The men in uniform, presumably part of some naval program, are framed within the larger theater apparatus. It speaks to the institutional labor of image-making in wartime. Curator: Absolutely. And consider the composition—rows upon rows of similar figures, yet each face subtly distinct. The individual lost in the collective experience. Editor: Precisely. The mass production of both men and images, and the interchangeability that implies within these larger systems. How easily are both consumed and disposed of? Curator: You've given me a lot to reflect on; I see this work differently now. Editor: Indeed. Hopefully we all do.