Untitled (man in checkered coat and hat looking into mirror) c. 1948

Editor: This small, undated gelatin silver print by Jack Gould, "Untitled (man in checkered coat and hat looking into mirror)," feels very personal. I’m struck by the man's self-conscious pose. What do you see here? Curator: I see a performance of masculinity, complicated by the mirror. The checkered pattern, repeated across coat and hat, suggests a desire for order, a constructed identity. What happens when that carefully constructed image is reflected back, potentially fractured? Editor: So, it's not just about appearance, but about the anxieties of self-representation? Curator: Precisely! Consider the historical context. Was this a period where certain modes of dress were tied to social expectations, even limitations, for men? How might this image challenge or reinforce such notions? Editor: That gives me a lot to think about; I hadn't considered that tension. Curator: Right? Art prompts us to question societal norms and power dynamics embedded in visual culture.