Untitled (attempts at shoeing a mule) c. 20th century

Editor: Here we have "Untitled (attempts at shoeing a mule)" by American Steel & Wire Co. It’s a small photograph, and the scene feels chaotic and maybe a bit tense. What's your take on this image? Curator: The photograph makes me consider the social hierarchy on display. We see a predominantly male audience observing the forced labor of an animal. Consider the power dynamics inherent in industrial capitalism and how it exploits both human and animal bodies. What does the act of shoeing, this imposition of human will, suggest to you in the context of labor and control? Editor: It’s unsettling to think about the mule’s perspective. The crowd's presence and the imposed constraint...it speaks to domination. Thank you, I’ll remember this. Curator: And I, the importance of continuing this dialogue, recognizing that art offers us the opportunity to reflect on our relationship with the world.