1936 (white relief sculpture - version 1) 1936

Editor: This is Ben Nicholson's 1936 (white relief sculpture - version 1), held at the Tate. It's a small, intriguing piece made of white material, perhaps plaster. The composition of geometric shapes is very calming. What do you make of this work? Curator: I see a deliberate engagement with process. Notice the hand-worked quality of the plaster, the subtle variations in texture. How does this materiality challenge the notion of the artwork as a purely aesthetic object? Editor: It makes me consider the labour involved, almost like a craft object rather than high art. Curator: Exactly! Nicholson is prompting us to examine the means of production and question those traditional boundaries. Think about the social context of the 1930s – a period of mass production, yet here's a handmade object. What does that contrast suggest? Editor: It highlights the value of the individual maker in a world increasingly dominated by machines. This has been eye-opening! Curator: Indeed! It encourages us to consider not just what we see, but how it was made, and its place within a broader material culture.