[no title] 1998

Curator: This etching by John Walker, held in the Tate Collection, pulls you in with its intense, almost confrontational mood. Editor: Yes, it's unsettling. The figure is obscured, wrapped…swaddled, almost. Like a mummy, or a mental patient. Curator: The lack of clear definition lends to that feeling, doesn't it? The figure seems trapped by the harsh, almost violent strokes. Are we witnessing a struggle? Editor: Perhaps a struggle with self? The bandage-like wrappings suggest a need for protection, or perhaps a hiding of something shameful. The shoes, though, feel weighted, grounded, oddly… present. Curator: It’s a compelling contrast, the heavy shoes anchoring the obscured figure. Walker’s use of black ink creates such depth. Editor: It's a powerful, concentrated image that leaves you with more questions than answers. Curator: Indeed. A tiny, intense drama played out on paper.