Orford Castle, Suffolk 1970

Curator: David Gentleman’s print, “Orford Castle, Suffolk”, captures a medieval fortress. What strikes you first? Editor: Its stark, upright form seems to embody resilience, almost like a monument to survival, but there's also something haunted about it. Curator: Considering Orford's history as a site of power struggles and royal control, that feeling resonates. Castles have been symbols of feudal oppression and Norman conquest for centuries. Editor: Absolutely, and the verticality amplifies that feeling of imposing authority. The careful rendering of the stone also creates a sense of enduring permanence, of memory etched into the very landscape. Curator: That is very astute. Gentleman’s art invites us to reflect on the long shadows these structures cast on history and collective consciousness. Editor: Indeed, it is a potent reminder of the stories embedded within these stones.