And the Birds Began to Sing 1964

Curator: Here we have Phillip King's striking sculpture, "And the Birds Began to Sing," held in the Tate collection. Editor: My first thought is that it feels strangely theatrical, like a stage set for a primal drama. The stark black and red are really dramatic. Curator: It’s fascinating how the cone form, often associated with the sacred or monumental, is here rendered in these industrial materials, questioning what we consider timeless. Editor: Exactly. The construction itself, the way the material is shaped and joined, speaks to a post-war exploration of new methods and the democratisation of material in art making. I wonder how heavy this thing is. Curator: Perhaps the title hints at a deeper connection. Red and black, of course, carry profound symbolic weight throughout history, representing passion, danger, and transformation. Editor: Maybe, or maybe the artist was just thinking about how to bend some metal into a pleasing shape. I appreciate the ambiguity, really. Curator: It certainly invites layers of interpretation. Editor: Indeed. It's been quite the conversation.