Untitled (two standing cats wearing gloves and pretending to box in boxing ring) 1946

Editor: This photograph by Jack Gould, called "Untitled (two standing cats wearing gloves and pretending to box in boxing ring)", shows two cats poised in a boxing ring, wearing gloves. It's quirky and fun, but what do you see in it? Curator: I see a commentary on power dynamics. Consider the historical context: boxing, often a metaphor for social struggle, here performed by cats—creatures historically positioned as domestic and subordinate. What does it mean to stage them in a traditionally masculine domain? Editor: So, you’re saying the image challenges ideas about who gets to participate in displays of strength? Curator: Precisely. The gloves themselves, symbols of regulated violence, become tools for subverting expectations and raising questions about class, access, and even speciesism. What power structures are at play here? Editor: That’s fascinating. I never thought about it that way. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure. Art invites us to see the world through a critical lens.