Untitled (two women with man dressed as Santa Claus) c. 1950

Editor: Here we have Jack Gould’s "Untitled (two women with man dressed as Santa Claus)." It's small, only a couple of inches square, and the scene feels so intimate. What symbols or meanings do you find resonating here? Curator: The image hums with domesticity, doesn't it? Santa, normally a symbol of boundless generosity, is here rendered human, almost vulnerable. Consider the women: one mending, perhaps repairing the very fabric of the Santa myth, the other watchful, contemplative. Editor: So, the image isn’t just about Christmas, but about our relationship with these constructed figures? Curator: Precisely. It prompts us to ask: What do these figures represent in our collective consciousness, and how do we sustain them? It certainly made me think about the work behind the magic. Editor: I agree; the photo challenges our notions of symbols like Santa in interesting ways.