Eye and Camera: Multifigure 1972

Editor: Here we have John Piper’s "Eye and Camera: Multifigure" from the Tate collection. It's quite a mix of vibrant colors and black and white photography. What strikes you about how it was made? Curator: Look at the juxtaposition of those photographic images with the roughly applied blocks of color. It is the means of production that interests me. How does Piper challenge traditional notions of artistic skill by incorporating mass-produced photographic elements into his work? Editor: So, it is the combination of photographic reproduction and hand-applied color. What do we learn from his labor? Curator: Precisely. The overlay of photographic and painterly gestures asks us to consider the social context of artmaking itself. How does the work reflect the changing landscape of art production? Editor: That's a really interesting way to look at it. I had not considered the labor that went into this, and will look at art differently going forward. Curator: Indeed! It’s about seeing beyond the surface to the underlying processes and their implications.