D - Desire 1969 - 1970

Editor: Here we have Joe Tilson's "D - Desire" from an unknown date, currently in the Tate Collection. It's, well, it's quite striking. There's a woman, a spider... it feels quite surreal and a bit unsettling. What do you make of it? Curator: Unsettling is a great word! It's a dive into the subconscious, I think. The spider, the web... all classic symbols of entrapment, of being caught in one's own desires. And the woman's face, so detached, almost mannequin-like. Does she look trapped to you, or complicit? Editor: Complicit, definitely. Like she's in on the game, whatever it is. Curator: Exactly! It's that ambiguity that makes Tilson's work so compelling. Is desire a trap, or a playground? He leaves it to us to decide. Editor: It's definitely given me something to think about. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure! It's always fascinating to see how different eyes perceive the same image.