Untitled (man sitting inside target practice store) c. 1950

Editor: This is an untitled gelatin silver print by Jack Gould, depicting a man inside a "target practice" store. It's intriguing how the signage is prominently displayed. What stands out to you? Curator: The image, taken with gelatin silver, directs us to examine the materiality of representation itself. The labor involved in producing both the shooting range and the photograph—the making and the seeing—are interconnected forms of production and consumption. Editor: So, it's about the process of making, not just the image itself? Curator: Precisely. Consider the historical context of such stores, their role in shaping notions of skill, leisure, and even violence. It raises questions about the commodification of these experiences. The photograph itself is an artifact of that system. Editor: That gives me a lot to think about, how everyday spaces are shaped by commerce and labor.