The House in the Woods 1939 - 1944

Curator: Humphrey Jennings' "The House in the Woods" presents a rather unusual composition. It is currently part of the Tate collection. Editor: My first impression is one of unease. The fractured forms and unsettling color palette create a sense of estrangement, not the peaceful idyll the title suggests. Curator: Absolutely. Notice how Jennings uses geometric shapes to depict organic forms, disrupting the traditional symbolism of home and nature. The house becomes almost crystalline. Editor: And consider the material implications. The oil paint, thickly applied, builds a tactile surface that contrasts with the ethereal subject matter. It's a tangible reminder of the labor involved in creating this dreamscape. Curator: The artist was deeply involved in surrealism, so those geometries transform the archetypal "house" into something alien. Is it a shelter or a prison? What do these strange symbols mean? Editor: I think it’s less about a specific meaning and more about the disquiet. The textures fight against the subject. Curator: Well, the image certainly haunts the mind. Editor: Yes, it definitely provides a striking example of art's power to unsettle.