[no title] 1993

Curator: This untitled work by Ian McKeever presents a stark contrast, split almost evenly between fields of dark ink and paler, textured grounds, accompanied by enigmatic text. Editor: It feels like a meditation on weight and air, on the tangible versus the intangible. The black seems to press down, while the words hint at lightness. What is the medium? Curator: It's a print, likely a lithograph or etching, given the textural qualities in the lighter field. McKeever is known for his engagement with Romanticism, so the landscape-inspired text likely reflects that. Editor: The materiality plays such a key role, then, in conveying that Romantic sensibility. You can imagine the physical labor involved in creating those textures and the density of the ink. Curator: Absolutely. And thinking about the context, McKeever's interest in nature aligns with a broader historical and political trend of seeking refuge in landscape during periods of social upheaval. Editor: Yes, the landscape as both retreat and battleground. It’s interesting to think about how the act of printing itself, the reproduction and dissemination, ties into that politicized view of nature. Curator: Indeed, the print becomes a vehicle for sharing that experience, that tension. Editor: Well, that’s given me a lot to think about!