Pray for Josquin  1981

Editor: This is Brian Clarke's "Pray for Josquin." The red background is strikingly contrasted with the newspaper clippings in the shapes of a cross and rectangle. What do you see in this piece? Curator: The title "Pray for Josquin" immediately directs us to consider the work within a framework of loss and perhaps, mourning. The cross shape, combined with the red, evokes imagery of the Red Cross and notions of aid, but it's juxtaposed against the fragility of newspaper—fleeting information. It begs the question, what exactly are we praying for? Editor: So the use of the newspaper is intentional? Curator: Absolutely. Clarke is urging us to contemplate the ephemeral nature of news and how easily narratives can be manipulated, set against this backdrop of a potential, even spiritual, crisis. What do you make of the red, almost blood-like, droplets? Editor: It definitely adds to the somber mood. I hadn’t considered the manipulation aspect. Curator: It all comes together to form a powerful statement on the state of information and its impact on our collective consciousness.