Untitled 1961

Curator: Right, let’s have a closer look at this untitled piece, created by Louis Bunce in 1961. It's an etching with monoprint and charcoal elements. Gives it a kind of ghostly depth, doesn't it? Editor: It really does. My initial gut feeling is…brooding. Like peering into some hidden grotto or a dreamscape about to dissolve. The stark black and white contrasts feel almost…primal. Curator: Absolutely. Bunce was deeply engaged with Abstract Expressionism and elements of Surrealism at the time, so he's tapping into that post-war angst, maybe even hinting at something ancient. Notice how the forms are suggestive but never quite resolve. What images do you think lurk within those shadowed masses? Editor: I see remnants of structures…perhaps skeletal architecture. But those patches of light seem equally significant, almost like spiritual openings. It is like a temple emerging from primordial darkness. The vertical emphasis feels quite symbolic; rising beyond. Curator: I think that resonance with the "rising beyond" feeling gets to something fundamental about Bunce. The way he combines etching with charcoal and monoprint, it isn't just technique—he’s constructing layers of memory and myth. Editor: Exactly. Etching has this capacity to embed a sense of permanence and archetypes in art. What interests me is how his mark-making builds up and then partially obscures. What is exposed, and what is concealed in those deliberate shadows? The charcoal seems particularly gestural... impulsive? Curator: Yes, precisely. Bunce often played with opposing forces, structure and fluidity, light and shadow. He’s pulling us into an exploration of those liminal spaces. Editor: There's definitely a raw vulnerability present within the artwork. I mean it is monochrome yet feels strangely alive. So tell me what does an image like this say to the viewers today, steeped as we are in our contemporary visual experience? Curator: I feel the image’s capacity for tapping into timeless feelings transcends cultural boundaries and time. Editor: Agreed, something so intensely internal in its creation invites endless introspection. Well, thanks for lending a light, I feel I can explore new aspects after this look.