Untitled (monkey sitting next to tricycle) c. 1950

Curator: This intriguing photograph from Jack Gould is called *Untitled (monkey sitting next to tricycle)*. The image, a modest 5.7 x 5.7 cm, currently resides at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It's haunting, isn't it? Like a faded memory or a dream you can't quite grasp. The monkey's gaze is so pensive. Curator: Indeed. The work's power lies in its unsettling juxtaposition of innocence and captivity. The tricycle becomes a symbol of thwarted freedom, a poignant commentary on animal exploitation and agency. Editor: I see it too. It's sad and funny at the same time, like a Beckett play. Maybe the monkey is waiting for Godot on that trike, forever stuck in a loop. Curator: Perhaps Gould sought to critique societal structures, revealing the absurdity and cruelty embedded within our interactions with the animal kingdom. Editor: You always bring it back to the social stuff, don't you? Still, it makes you think. I guess it's a ride we're all on, in a way. Curator: Precisely. It prompts us to consider our roles and responsibilities within the broader context of power dynamics. Editor: Right. I’m going to go home and hug my cat.