Angels Wrestling 1950

Curator: Alright, let's turn our attention to this striking print: Stanley William Hayter's "Angels Wrestling" from 1950. It’s an etching, full of furious energy. What springs to mind for you when you first look at this, Editor? Editor: Immediately, I see turmoil. The chaotic lines, like frantic energy released from tightly wound springs, suggest inner conflict made visible. There's an almost brutal, raw honesty here. Curator: I think you've nailed it. Hayter was fascinated by the subconscious, exploring those hidden dramas through automatic drawing, a sort of visual free-association. Think about the angel motif itself, a classic symbol for spiritual striving. To show them wrestling—that implies this struggle is inherent, even in the most divine aspects of ourselves. Editor: It’s so interesting you mention ‘divine’—to me, this depiction shatters that very concept! Look how Hayter destabilizes their forms, fragmenting them into abstract shapes. Aren't angels supposed to be graceful beings? This feels like an interrogation of the entire angelic image, as if it's caught in a whirlwind. Curator: I suppose, the interesting thing about Hayter is how unafraid he was of taking a classical image and giving a modern twist. Note that he uses etching, an Old Master's technique, and then radically uses a range of motions to bite the plate. Almost like the technique itself mirrors this fraught push-and-pull, which could definitely add meaning. Editor: Yes, exactly! And observe the strategic use of light and shadow. The grayscale amplifies the gravity of the scene and contributes to the sense of weighty symbolism. It’s not merely about angelic combat, but of cosmic import, reflecting our internal tug-of-war between order and chaos, the spiritual and the material. Curator: Absolutely. So, by bringing abstraction, symbolism, and an interest in automatism together, it asks you to think about what angels are really doing, not in some ethereal heaven, but within all of us, fighting it out for resolution. Editor: To see it laid bare like that is really powerful. Hayter allows the struggle—and the beauty—to be shown with an unmatched clarity.