Anabasis I 1964

Editor: Here we have William Tucker's "Anabasis I" at the Tate, a striking sculpture with rounded forms in white and yellow. It almost feels like a playful object, yet there's a strange tension in how the shapes are balanced. What do you make of it? Curator: Oh, this piece hums with unspoken stories! It's like a visual poem. I find myself wondering about the journey implied by the title - a climb, a return. Do you see how the yellow form almost yearns upwards, yet is tethered? Editor: It’s true. It does feel held back. Why do you think the artist chose such simple shapes? Curator: Perhaps, stripping down to essentials allowed Tucker to explore fundamental ideas: support, resistance, and maybe even a touch of longing. It’s a visual haiku, isn't it? Editor: A haiku! I like that. It's definitely given me a new perspective on how much can be conveyed with so little. Curator: It makes me think of how we're all just trying to find our balance, really. Anabasis, indeed.