Angel 1977

Curator: Here we have Cecil Collins' "Angel," a small etching in the Tate collection. Editor: It feels like a dream, or a half-remembered fairytale. The stark black and white gives it a starkness, like an old woodcut. Curator: Collins' work often explores archetypal figures, tapping into universal myths and spiritual themes. The angel, here, can be read in relation to wider cultural anxieties around innocence, divinity, and societal redemption. Editor: Redemption, yes, that's a good word for it. But there's also a fragility, like it could all crumble into dust with a breath. Curator: Perhaps that fragility speaks to the precariousness of those very ideals in the face of modern social and political upheaval. Editor: It's like a little prayer, whispered on a dark night. Curator: Indeed, it's a meditation on the enduring power of the spirit, even in the most uncertain times. Editor: I think I will carry that feeling of fragility with me for the rest of the day.