Christ Church, Spitalfields

Editor: This Leon Kossoff drawing, "Christ Church, Spitalfields," now in the Tate, hits me right in the gut. It’s like a memory struggling to surface. Curator: Kossoff, born in 1926, consistently returned to the urban landscape, particularly London's post-war architecture, revealing the intersection between the built environment and lived experience. Editor: It feels so…fragmented. The church looms, but the lines are frantic, almost collapsing. Is it the weight of history, or maybe just the weight of the charcoal itself? Curator: Think about Spitalfields, historically a site of immigration and shifting populations. The church, built in the 18th century, represents power, but also perhaps the vulnerability of communities it overlooked. Editor: It’s funny, isn't it? How a building, meant to inspire, can feel so burdened. I see a city, not just built, but felt. Curator: Kossoff gives us a London that isn't pristine, but rather palpably affected by human life and societal pressures. Editor: Yeah, a space etched into the soul, not just the skyline.