The Brazen Serpent (2) 1998

Curator: Looking at this etching, "The Brazen Serpent (2)" by Leon Kossoff, part of the Tate Collection, what springs to mind? Editor: Chaos, frankly. A swirling vortex of lines and figures, a jumble of bodies in distress. Curator: Indeed. The Brazen Serpent is a potent symbol of healing through faith, a narrative drawn from the Old Testament. Here, Kossoff strips away any sense of divine intervention, leaving us with raw human suffering. Editor: The lack of clear form amplifies that. It's less about a specific historical moment and more about the timeless experience of collective pain and fear. It highlights how societies process trauma through visual narratives. Curator: A powerful observation. The serpent, typically a symbol of deception, becomes an ambiguous symbol of potential salvation, viewed through a modern lens of doubt and unease. The image leaves us suspended, unresolved. Editor: Absolutely, a perspective that highlights the power of art to reflect cultural anxieties and the ongoing struggle to find meaning in suffering.