Labyrinth No. 2 1950

Curator: Adolph Gottlieb’s "Labyrinth No. 2," part of the Tate Collections, presents us with a captivating arrangement of geometric forms and glyph-like symbols. Editor: It strikes me as a visual puzzle, a matrix of symbols rendered in muted, almost ethereal hues. Curator: Gottlieb’s work here reflects his interest in myth and the collective unconscious, drawing from diverse cultural symbols. Editor: The grid-like structure contains images that echo indigenous art and archaic scripts, blurring the lines between representation and abstraction. Do you think this framework intends to evoke confinement? Curator: The use of such symbols at that time was often read in the context of the world wars, exploring how primal narratives and ancient forms resurface during periods of upheaval. Editor: Right, and those symbols also speak to the struggle for meaning, for a system of order in a post-war world. Curator: It makes me think about how artists engage with history. Editor: I see the push and pull between representation and what lies beneath the surface.