[no title] 1978

Editor: This photogravure by Gerd Winner features a brick wall and street. It feels so imposing, almost like a barrier. What visual symbols are at play here? Curator: The brick, endlessly repeated, resonates with industrialization and perhaps, confinement. The windows, almost like eyes, hint at surveillance. Think about what walls have represented throughout history – division, protection, oppression. Do you see echoes of that here? Editor: Yes, I do. The lack of sky adds to the feeling of being closed in, as if the wall is the whole world. Curator: Exactly. Winner uses this stark imagery to evoke a sense of detachment, inviting us to question the structures, both physical and societal, that define our spaces. Considering its location at the Tate, what narrative do you think it contributes to? Editor: I hadn't thought about its placement there. It provides a stark contrast with the other pieces. Thanks! Curator: Indeed! It’s a thought-provoking piece on how we internalize the boundaries around us.