Untitled 2003

Curator: Phyllida Barlow, known for her monumental sculptures, created this Untitled painting. It's held in the Tate Collections. Editor: My initial reaction is one of playful unease. The rough brushstrokes and drab background clash with those bright, almost cartoonish, cylinders. Curator: Barlow often explores mass and scale in her work, challenging traditional sculptural forms. The painting, though smaller, echoes this interest in how objects occupy space, even domestic space. Editor: Absolutely. The tilted chair, the disproportionate shadow…it disrupts any sense of stability. I read a commentary on precariousness, perhaps reflective of social anxieties. Curator: Indeed. Barlow's artistic trajectory, particularly within a historically male-dominated art world, lends itself to such interpretations. The work, in its deliberate awkwardness, resists easy consumption. Editor: Agreed. It's a visual disruption that encourages questioning. Curator: Her constant challenging of sculptural norms makes one question our preconceived ideas. Editor: For me, its enduring resonance lies in its capacity to evoke a sense of instability and invite a critical examination of the world around us.