Untitled (Head top right Toothpaste/Toothbrush/Pyramid) (271 - A G) 1962

Curator: Well, this is an odd duck, isn’t it? It's by Derek Boshier, dating from 1962. The complete title is “Untitled (Head top right Toothpaste/Toothbrush/Pyramid) (271 - A G),” and he used watercolor. My first thought is, “Morning routine on Mars?” Editor: My first reaction is… intriguing. The naive rendering clashes so delightfully with the commercial subjects! It's so much about the burgeoning advertising of the 60's. Can one even have "authentic" experiences when bombarded by advertisements at every corner? Curator: Right? And toothpaste and pyramids together feel, well, intentionally absurd. The lone stick in the upper part, with its phallic form against this nebulous dark cloud or hair... It’s kind of suggestive. Perhaps hinting at some sort of repressed feeling, maybe from the social conformity of those days. Editor: Boshier was making these works right at the cusp of the British Pop Art movement, I find the connection between personal hygiene and monumental structures to be making a point on cultural imperialism, particularly with an emerging sense of what could be described today as wellness or 'self-care' overtaking historical values and cultural production. Curator: Absolutely, there’s this very particular, clean line style happening that juxtaposes mundane morning rituals with potent symbols of the ancient world. In all fairness, I do find his interpretation quite hilarious; perhaps making a tongue-in-cheek commentary on our human preoccupation of cleanliness above all else. It definitely provokes questions rather than giving any answers. Editor: It's interesting how a medium as 'innocent' as watercolor allows Boshier to confront post-colonial anxieties and consumerism within domestic spheres. I guess, in many ways, the question remains: is Pop Art critiquing the very thing that feeds it? Curator: Probably, in a twisted sort of way. It feels rather rebellious, as if it almost says to the public: think about all this and maybe reconsider. A gentle call to revolution in disguise. It feels playful, but not mindless! I appreciate that the piece does not come with clear-cut solutions to offer the observer. Editor: A rebellion, indeed! Leaving us pondering long after viewing. Perhaps the only solution available is critical consciousness of consumerism.