The Slave Market 1912 - 1913

Curator: Here we have Claud Lovat Fraser's "The Slave Market," part of the Tate Collection, created sometime before his death in 1921. It's just over half a meter tall and less than a meter wide. The support is canvas. Editor: The color palette is wild! It gives me the feeling that it is more of a stage set or a vibrant dreamscape, rather than a literal interpretation. Curator: Right. Fraser worked in theater design. The use of the vertical lines and bright blocks of colour is very reminiscent of stagecraft, especially set backdrops. Editor: And it seems to be more of a symbolic take on the concept, rather than documentary. The bold geometries and limited detail certainly lead to that, don’t you think? Curator: I agree. Fraser's interest lay less in historical accuracy and more in exploring the theatricality and the material culture of the past. Editor: That makes sense. I was initially thrown off by the seemingly random, childlike rendering, but framed in this context, it all feels intentional. Curator: Well, it's the mark of a piece that, even a century on, can still offer up questions, isn't it? Editor: Absolutely, it invites discussion and thought, even now. Thank you for making me aware of the material context, I am seeing it in a whole new light.