Technique Demonstration 1935 - 1942

Curator: Looking at Roy Caswell's drawing "Technique Demonstration," likely created between 1935 and 1942, I’m immediately drawn to its grid-like structure, almost like a deconstructed textile pattern in progress. Editor: It feels incredibly mathematical, almost clinical. It's… intriguing, in a way a textbook page you’d find compelling is intriguing, you know? It's an emotional mystery in numbers, like an accountant falling in love. Curator: Precisely. Consider how Caswell’s use of geometric abstraction invites us to delve into the underpinnings of visual order. We're accustomed to seeing the finished mosaic, the grand design; here, we witness its careful construction, cell by cell. You have to think that the pencil and watercolor mediums have also a very subtle feel. Editor: True! The geometric aspect reminds me of some very rudimentary programming instructions. The colours even seem coded, maybe in shades of teal and russet? I wonder if this "demonstration" connects to his own creative workflow—almost as a meta-commentary. Curator: That’s insightful. It reflects on how we perceive meaning in images. The step-by-step process, as indicated by the numbering—stages 1 through 6—shows the translation of an abstract concept into concrete visual form. Do you find the grid comforting or restraining? Editor: Both. The structure anchors the potential chaos. What do you think he’s demonstrating about the link between rational thought and, dare I say, spiritual transcendence? Curator: By unveiling the formulaic elements, Caswell acknowledges, or suggests that we recognise and acknowledge, their underlying psychological grip on perception, not least if we read them across all stages of human evolution, from archaic ornamentation to technological images. Editor: Hmmm, there’s some truth in it, Roy is really opening my brain here, just enough. I think I can see what lies ahead for today.