Untitled (two children standing at fence looking at fake cat) c. 1950

Editor: This is an intriguing, untitled photograph by Jack Gould depicting two children peering at something beyond a picket fence, maybe a fake cat. The photo's high contrast gives it a slightly unsettling, dreamlike quality. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Well, isn't it a curious little drama! For me, it speaks to childhood itself – that moment of discovery, of being on the cusp of understanding something new, even if that "something" is a slightly sinister-looking, inanimate object. The children are both captivated, yet there's also a barrier, a separation. It makes you wonder what other secrets are hiding just beyond that fence, doesn't it? Editor: Absolutely. I hadn't considered the "barrier" aspect so explicitly. It definitely enriches the photograph's narrative. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure! Art is nothing if not an invitation to peek beyond the fence.