Canto IV: [no title] 1982

Curator: This is one of Esq Tom Phillips's illustrations from his project "A Humument," specifically "Canto IV: [no title]" found in the Tate Collections. Editor: Immediately, I'm struck by how this feels both ancient and strikingly modern. The mask-like shape containing chaotic scenes gives it such a powerful, almost unsettling presence. Curator: It's fascinating to consider the materials. Phillips layers text and imagery, transforming a Victorian novel through collage and manipulation, repurposing discarded materials into something entirely new. Editor: Right, it is about rediscovering and redefining. This image almost feels like a dream, pieced together from fragments of memory and myth. There's a real tension between order and chaos, containment and explosion. Curator: The contrast in textures also plays a crucial role, the density of the printed text with the open space around it, engaging with a dialogue on production, consumption, and meaning itself. Editor: It leaves me pondering the stories it hides and the ones it reveals, like a visual poem whispered through time. A haunting glimpse into humanity’s collective unconscious, perhaps.