A Illiers-Combray V 1973 - 1974

Editor: This is Ian Tyson’s ‘A Illiers-Combray V’ from the Tate collection. It's a print, with precise rows of coloured dots. It looks almost like a digital screen. What strikes you about this piece? Curator: I am interested in how the artist uses the printmaking process to create this effect. The labor involved in producing such a precise, almost mechanical image is fascinating. It blurs the line between mass production and individual artistry. Editor: So, it’s the tension between the handmade and the machine-made that you find compelling? Curator: Precisely. Considering the materials and the process, the artist challenges the traditional notion of artistic skill. This work provokes questions about production, labor, and the very definition of art. Editor: I see that now, thank you! It gives me a lot to think about regarding art's relationship to craft.