Strange Signals 1917 - 1919

Editor: This print, "Strange Signals" by James McBey, done between 1917 and 1919, portrays two figures on a camel in what appears to be a desert landscape. It's rendered with delicate etching and engraving techniques, creating a rather stark and mysterious atmosphere. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The print immediately evokes a sense of cultural memory for me. The camel itself is a potent symbol – of endurance, resilience, and passage through harsh environments. Consider how the visual symbol of the camel is loaded with so much history from different regions, such as the Middle East, North Africa, and parts of Asia. The clothing worn by the two figures suggests Europeans, perhaps administrators or soldiers from that colonial period, traversing a landscape foreign to them. Does it resonate with any known images you've seen? Editor: I suppose it vaguely reminds me of something by Delacroix but it seems much more austere. How do you read the "Strange Signals" implied in the title, though? Curator: That's the real intrigue, isn't it? Look at the emptiness of the landscape, the vast sky. The “signals” might not be literal. Consider the psychological weight of that open space: it implies isolation, vulnerability, the potential for misinterpretation or hallucination. What signals are *they* projecting, and what signals are they *receiving*? Editor: So, it’s less about physical signals and more about a state of mind, maybe reflecting the disorientation of colonialism? Curator: Precisely. The imagery is not about accurate representation, but it works as an exploration of cultural displacement and psychological projection onto a foreign environment. Editor: That gives the piece a completely different dimension. Thanks, I see it much more clearly now! Curator: It is fascinating to consider how visual language carries cultural freight. This piece prompts us to examine both the observer and the observed, and the narratives we create around them.