The Reaper 1938

Eileen Agar made this collage on paper called ‘The Reaper’, and right away I want to know, what kind of reaper are we talking about here? I imagine her, alone in her studio, pushing paint around, trying to get it to do something, anything. The gestures are frantic but considered; bold dark brushstrokes loop around the composition. Then, she pauses, sticks a leaf down. It’s a heart shape, but it’s also papery and decaying. It’s not quite as simple as life and death though, is it? The shapes in the background feel like a landscape. Maybe they are a memory of something she has seen. A surrealist, Agar was interested in automatism and chance, but she was also a formalist—the composition is carefully balanced between abstract and figurative elements. I am reminded of Kurt Schwitters here, who was also into collage. The act of making this painting is a conversation with those who came before, those who are yet to come, an ongoing exchange of ideas across time, inspiring creativity for all.