Untitled (monkey riding tricycle) c. 1950

Curator: Oh, this is a curious one. Jack Gould's "Untitled (monkey riding tricycle)." It's a small gelatin silver print, just a few inches square, residing here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: Well, it's immediately unsettling, isn't it? That stark, almost ghostly negative image of a monkey on a tiny tricycle. Curator: The monkey's chain is disturbing, and that adds a layer of discomfort to the image. I wonder if it's a commentary on animal captivity, a sad sort of performance. Editor: Or, perhaps, it’s an absurd portrait of learned behaviors. The monkey mimicking a human activity is undeniably surreal. Curator: It does make you question the relationship between humans and animals, doesn't it? Who is training who, and for what purpose? Editor: It gives me pause... I thought I would just be looking at art today, but now I have to think about monkeys? Curator: Indeed, it's a memorable image, for sure.