Untitled (boy holding dog on vet's table) c. 1950

Editor: This small, undated photograph by Jack Gould, titled *Untitled (boy holding dog on vet's table)*, has such a strange mood because of the inverted contrast. What social dynamics do you see at play here? Curator: It is interesting, isn't it? This image makes me consider the power dynamics inherent in human-animal relationships, particularly within institutional settings. The boy's role is to restrain, while the vet manipulates the dog. Editor: How so? Curator: Think about the social construction of care, and who gets to decide what constitutes "care." Is this for the dog's benefit, or to normalize the dog to be more compliant in society? Editor: I never thought about it that way. I was just focusing on the boy and his dog. Curator: Exactly. And what does that say about how our society programs us to overlook the systematic oppression of some, in favor of an aestheticized vision of others? Editor: That gives me a lot to think about.