Untitled (house under construction, view through window at workmen) c. 1950

Curator: This untitled photograph by Jack Gould captures a house under construction, framing workmen through a window. I'm struck by the layers of access and visibility here. What catches your eye? Editor: I find the composition disorienting, almost like looking through a fragmented memory. It feels like it's commenting on labor, but I'm not sure how. Curator: Exactly. The act of framing inherently involves power. Gould uses the incomplete structure to ask: Who has the privilege to observe and document labor, and from what distance? It speaks to the class dynamics inherent in construction, doesn't it? Editor: I see that now. The unfinished frame almost creates a barrier. Curator: It's a powerful visual metaphor for social stratification. Thinking about whose stories are told, and how, is vital when we consider these works. Editor: Thanks. I'll remember that next time I see an image of laborers.