Untitled (reservoir or lake surrounded by rocky hills/cliffs) c. 1950

Curator: Here we have an untitled photograph by Jack Gould, showcasing a reservoir or lake enclosed by rocky hills and cliffs. Editor: It’s striking. The inverted tones lend it an almost otherworldly feel, yet the composition feels grounded, focused on the materiality of the landscape. Curator: It’s interesting you say that. Consider how photography, still relatively new at the time, democratized landscape art. Gould’s choice of subject matter positions this work within a larger cultural fascination with nature. Editor: But it’s not just a straightforward depiction of nature, is it? Look at the process. The negative itself becomes part of the artwork, highlighting the labor involved and the transformation of the natural world through technology. Curator: Precisely. The image, now held at the Harvard Art Museums, gains new meaning through its institutional context, shaping how we perceive its artistic value. Editor: Seeing it this way, it is less about romanticizing the landscape and more about understanding our interaction with it through different processes. Curator: Absolutely, a thought-provoking piece on many levels.