Prisms of Water 1959 - 1999

Editor: This is Anthony Benjamin’s "Prisms of Water" from 1999, part of the Tate collection. The dark blues and blacks give it a somewhat melancholy feel, almost like a dreamscape. What symbols do you see in this piece? Curator: The blue, repeated, suggests not just water but memory itself, its edges softened and blurred. The streaks of red, like veins, disrupt the placid surface – perhaps a reminder of buried emotions or traumas. What do you make of the geometric forms rising from the depths? Editor: They look like houses, maybe? Curator: Yes, but consider the house as a symbol. It often represents the self, the inner world. Here, fragmented and submerged, they speak of the psyche’s hidden depths, the parts of ourselves we may not fully acknowledge. Editor: That makes so much sense! It really changes how I see the whole piece. Curator: Exactly! Visual symbols are culturally important for encoding and transferring knowledge.