Horse and Rider V by  Dame Elisabeth Frink

1970 - 1971

Horse and Rider V

Listen to curator's interpretation

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Curatorial notes

Editor: So, here we have Dame Elisabeth Frink's "Horse and Rider V," and I’m struck by its raw, almost vulnerable quality. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see a commentary on power and control, especially within patriarchal structures. Frink created this series during a period of intense social upheaval; how might the relationship between horse and rider reflect anxieties about authority and societal order? Editor: That's interesting. I was just thinking about the individual figures and not broader themes. Curator: Consider Frink's other works, often exploring the male figure in positions of dominance or vulnerability. Does that change your interpretation? Editor: It does. I'm now thinking about how the power dynamic is not clearly defined here; there is a fragility in both figures. Curator: Exactly. And that ambiguity allows us to question traditional notions of power. I think that’s what makes this so compelling.