Canto XXIV: [no title] 1983

Editor: This is Esq Tom Phillips' "Canto XXIV," and it looks like a Snakes and Ladders board. The materials seem simple, but the image itself is really visually complex. What's your take on this piece? Curator: It's fascinating how Phillips elevates a mass-produced game, transforming it into a commentary on social mobility. Consider the materials: ink, paper, and the printing process itself. It’s about taking something commonplace and imbuing it with artistic value through labor and careful craftsmanship. Editor: So, it is not necessarily about the message, but the process? Curator: Precisely. The ladders and snakes, mass produced, become tools for exploring class structures and the illusion of upward movement within a capitalist system. Editor: That's a really interesting way to look at it. I hadn't considered that. Curator: It encourages us to question how art objects are made and consumed, blurring the lines between art and everyday life.