G - Guillaume Apollinaire 1969 - 1970

Curator: Joe Tilson's "G - Guillaume Apollinaire," held in the Tate Collections, presents us with a compelling visual puzzle, wouldn't you agree? Editor: Absolutely, there's a captivating fragmentation to it, a layering that hints at deconstruction and maybe even a questioning of the romantic hero figure. Curator: Tilson's process, I think, really shines through. Look at how he combines screen-printing and collage, almost blurring the lines between the mechanical reproduction and hand-made gestures. The halftone portrait of Apollinaire dominates, yet it's disrupted by these textual and photographic elements. The overlaid numbers suggest the commodification of language and thought. Editor: Yes, and consider the socio-political context. Apollinaire, a prominent figure in the early 20th-century avant-garde scene, is juxtaposed with what appears to be a soldier from the First World War. It seems like Tilson is confronting the role of art and the artist amidst the turmoil of modern warfare. The text is also a critical part of it. Curator: It's quite clear that Tilson is questioning the canon and deconstructing the traditional heroic narratives. It's all very provocative in its materiality. Editor: The layering invites us to unpack assumptions and to understand the politics of imagery. An interesting conversation.