Eschatos 23 1977

Editor: This is Clarence Holbrook Carter’s "Eschatos 23", a 1977 lithograph. It feels very brooding; that intense storm cloud really dominates the composition. But there's also this weird, egg-shaped form sitting on the beach. It feels…alien. What do you make of it? Curator: Oh, I love that you see the tension in it right away! Carter often explored this push and pull between the familiar—landscapes, like this moody seascape—and the surreal. It’s almost like he’s asking: what lurks beneath the surface of what we know? Does the horizon draw us in or hold us back? That almost sinister dark storm is an impending mystery that has always intrigued me. I often think about the Romantic period, with their ideas on the Sublime - do you think we could make similar connections? Editor: Absolutely! The scale, the power of the storm... it’s meant to inspire awe, and maybe a little terror. What about that strange form, though? It’s so out of place. Curator: Exactly! It’s a rupture. A question mark hovering over the scene. Carter titled the work ‘Eschatos’ which stems from the Greek word relating to the ultimate destiny of humanity. So perhaps that orb is the unearthly portal and, what it's waiting to usher to? I suppose our perception and interpretation relies on how far we’re willing to peer into the darkness. Editor: That title really reframes everything. I was stuck on the visual oddity, but you’re right, there's something bigger going on here. Curator: Isn’t that what makes art so compelling? It’s not just what we see, but what we feel, and the questions it awakens in us. It asks a question and it then dares *you* to be a player, it dares *you* to step up. Editor: I never would have seen that if we hadn’t talked it through, thank you. Curator: The pleasure was all mine! It seems a work that once appeared brooding, now encourages possibilities and potential outcomes. A visual narrative which invites further creative thinking.