[no title] 1998

Curator: Here we have an untitled etching by John Walker, created in 1998 and held at the Tate. Editor: My first impression is of a chaotic struggle. The figures seem to be locked in an almost violent embrace, rendered in stark black and white. Curator: The use of aquatint gives a tonal depth that belies the work's small scale. Note how Walker uses the plate's edge to frame and compress the figures. Editor: The figures appear bound, perhaps constrained by societal norms, or even engaging in a dance of dominance. What power dynamics might be at play here? Curator: The formal elements - the lines, the tone, the composition - create a visual tension. It's as if the artist is exploring the inherent conflict within form itself. Editor: It's a reminder that the personal is always political. This piece offers a glimpse into the ways power and identity intersect and collide. Curator: Indeed, a powerful display of the tensions within the medium itself. Editor: A stark look into the tensions between people.