Untitled (exterior of old two-story brick building) by Jack Gould

c. 1950

Untitled (exterior of old two-story brick building)

Listen to curator's interpretation

0:00
0:00

Curatorial notes

Editor: Jack Gould's "Untitled," a silver gelatin print depicting an old brick building, has a forlorn atmosphere. What symbolic weight does this seemingly mundane image hold? Curator: The repeated windows and chimneys evoke a sense of collective memory, like architectural stanzas in a poem. Consider the brick itself – a humble, human-scaled unit of construction. What stories do these bricks whisper of past lives and labor? Editor: It makes me wonder about the people who lived and worked here. Curator: Indeed. The negative print enhances the sense of haunting, suggesting a reversal or shadow of a tangible reality. It invites us to contemplate absence and the passage of time. Does that resonate with you? Editor: Absolutely, seeing it as a shadow changes everything. Thanks for helping me see the layers of meaning. Curator: My pleasure. The power of symbols lies in their ability to connect us to shared histories and universal human experiences.