Canto II: [no title] 1981

Curator: Esq Tom Phillips, born in 1937, created this work titled “Canto II” but left it without a subtitle. Its image dimensions are 293 by 203 millimeters. Editor: Oh, it feels like an illuminated manuscript, but with a playful, almost childlike geometry. Curator: The composition presents a structured arrangement with elements of geometric abstraction and symbolic representation. Consider how line, color, and form interact. Editor: I see a sort of ziggurat, a staircase to a stylized lily. It's like ascending through layers of meaning. And the colors! That soft blue fading to earthy tones—it's strangely calming. Curator: Indeed, the verticality, framed by the textual border, gives rise to an upward motion, and the color palette certainly contributes to a sense of ethereal balance. Editor: I like the blend of sacred geometry and pure whimsy. There is something about its deliberate naivete that is so appealing. Curator: Indeed, it offers us an exercise in both decoding and, ultimately, appreciating the synthesis. Editor: A perfect paradox, as art should be.