Drawing 1936

Editor: Here we have Ceri Richards's boldly stark drawing. I find it jarring yet playful, like a musical score exploded onto the page. What leaps out at you when you see this? Curator: It's a dance, isn't it? A tango between darkness and light, a conversation in shapes. Richards is grappling with surrealism, but on his own terms. Do you see the hints of musical instruments nestled within? Editor: Yes, like phantom instruments. And there’s an undeniable tension between the solid black and the stark white spaces. Curator: Absolutely. The negative space breathes life into the forms. It feels deeply personal, almost as if he’s trying to capture a feeling more than a scene. It’s as if the music made him feel this way. Editor: I see that now, it makes you wonder about the sounds that inspired such shapes. Curator: Exactly. It's a reminder that art isn't just about what we see, but what we feel.