Study for ‘The Withered Root’ c. 1927

Editor: Here we have William Roberts' 'Study for ‘The Withered Root'’ currently in the Tate Collections. There is such a dynamic angularity to the figures and lettering... What do you make of it? Curator: It’s like Roberts is wrestling with the very idea of form, isn’t it? Look how he abstracts the figures, almost to the point of architectural plans. He is asking us, “What does it mean to be human, and how can we represent that on paper?” It’s a deep dive into essence, isn’t it? Editor: I see what you mean. It's almost as if he's trying to build, rather than simply portray. Curator: Precisely! And perhaps that’s the point. Perhaps art, like life, is about constant construction, a building upon the withered roots of the past. It’s a lovely thought. Editor: That makes me see it in a completely different light, thank you!