I 1976 - 1977

Editor: This is Ian Tyson's "I," from the Tate collection. The bars of color shifting from peach to blue feel very quiet. What statements do you believe this artwork is trying to make? Curator: Well, it’s tempting to see this work through a lens of institutional critique. The artist seems to be playing with semiotics. What cultural narratives are being reinforced here? Editor: You mean like, how even abstract shapes are loaded with meaning? Curator: Precisely. How do you think the words listed contribute to this effect? Editor: They seem to add an element of domesticity, almost femininity. Curator: Exactly. Tyson subtly reveals how even the simplest forms can be implicated in power structures. Editor: That's a point well taken; it does feel as if he is asking a question about language and value. Curator: It's a reminder that art doesn't exist in a vacuum.