Erinys 1957

Editor: This drawing, "Erinys" by Ben Nicholson, was created in 1957 using ink. There’s an ethereal quality to the figures; one winged and the other bound. I’m struck by the contrast of freedom and constraint depicted with such simple materials. What can you tell me about the material choices and process behind it? Curator: I think the immediate thing we notice is its sketch-like quality. It doesn’t appear laboured but has likely required immense knowledge and facility to create. The deliberate act of using ink on paper, humble materials associated with sketching and preliminary studies, becomes significant. Nicholson elevates this 'low' method to a final artwork. Why do you think he chooses this process, in contrast to oil paintings for instance? Editor: Perhaps it's the immediacy? Ink allows for a directness, less room for revision compared to painting. I see this linking to the rawness of the mythological subject of punishment and fury. Curator: Precisely. Consider the cultural context. Post-war, artists were experimenting with rejecting traditional notions of "high art" by using simple materials. The ink's accessibility also speaks volumes. Nicholson isn’t concerned with opulent displays, he is showing an engagement with post-war realities, questioning traditional hierarchies within the art world through this focus on material and process. What do you make of the interplay of lines and the effect of layering to show depth? Editor: The overlapping lines almost feel like the figure is struggling, visually conveying a sense of tension and internal conflict through the layering of materials. Curator: Exactly! Nicholson is making us acutely aware of his artistic choices and processes, and his selection and application of modest material has an intriguing symbolic weight. Editor: I see what you mean, focusing on these aspects has helped me better appreciate the social implications of Nicholson's artistic choices.