A Fool Dancing 1941

Curator: Cecil Collins' etching, "A Fool Dancing," presents a fascinating tableau of figures in an undefined space. I see it at once as strangely dark but also playful. Editor: The labor of the etched line is visible; it yields to a sense of both the absurd and the melancholic. There's a disquieting juxtaposition here. Curator: The image speaks to a broader movement of artists exploring folklore and archetypes. Collins was very engaged with ideas of the divine child and the fool as sacred figures. The conditions of wartime might have made him turn to these themes. Editor: Note the contrast between the static, almost discarded head on the floor and the dynamic, dancing figure. The patterned costume and multiple eyes ask us to consider how identity is performed. Curator: Given Collins' interest in spiritualism and the occult, it's tempting to read this as an exploration of inner and outer selves, fragmented and in motion. He wanted his work to heal. Editor: A potent use of stark lines to convey a complex psychological drama. The room contains so much.