Dimensions: image: 515 x 400 mm
Copyright: © William Turnbull. All Rights Reserved, DACS 2014 | CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Curator: William Turnbull created this intriguing piece, "Figures and Signs." Editor: It's visually stark, almost primitive. The contrast is so high, and the figures seem so fragile. Curator: The interplay of dark and light is very powerful. Look at how Turnbull uses simple lines to suggest form. What do you make of that composition? Editor: There's an undeniable tension between the figures and the abstract symbols. It feels like a commentary on communication, perhaps, or the lack thereof in modern society. Curator: That's a compelling point. The positioning and starkness may be a reflection on post-war disillusionment and existential uncertainties. Editor: Ultimately, this work feels like an echo of ancient cave paintings, brought into the anxieties of the present day. Curator: Indeed, Turnbull invites us to consider these fundamental questions of human existence.
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http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/turnbull-figures-and-signs-p77468
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This print is distinguished from the others by Turnbull in this display by the fact that it is printed on newspaper. As a result daily life intrudes on his image of two figures and a series of signs. The page in question incorporates a crossword, property advertisements and personal announcements. Like many of his contemporaries, Turnbull was steeped in the culture of popular imagery and magazines where unrelated images would collide randomly. Here Turnbull's juxtaposition of simple marks against mass-produced text may suggest a return to the origins of language. Gallery label, August 2004
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