Frederick Ashton (1904-1988) 1938

Editor: This is Pavel Tchelitchew's portrait of Frederick Ashton. It's a pencil drawing, and there's this ghostly upside-down face... what does it all mean? Curator: The doubled portrait, especially with one image inverted, speaks to the multifaceted nature of identity, perhaps heightened for a dancer like Ashton. How do we read it in light of early 20th century queer identity? Editor: Queer identity? Curator: Tchelitchew was openly gay, and Ashton's sexuality, though private, was known. Does the duality represent a public versus private self? A struggle for visibility perhaps? Editor: I never thought of it that way; it makes the piece feel much more complex and layered. Curator: Exactly, and the artistic license to invert the portrait adds another dimension to the discourse, making us question conventional representation. Editor: I see it now, thanks.