Fish Basket c. 1965

Curator: Looking at Eileen Agar's "Fish Basket," I’m immediately struck by its whimsical, almost theatrical quality. The objects are playfully arranged, evoking a sense of the surreal. Editor: It's fascinating to consider how Agar, a key figure in the British Surrealist movement, assembled this mixed-media piece. The rattan basket, the painted wooden shapes...it feels like a comment on traditional still life. Curator: Exactly! It’s as if she’s challenging the very idea of what belongs in a basket, and what art can be made of. The ordinary transformed into something unexpected. Editor: And it’s all housed in the Tate collection, solidifying the artwork's place in art history and its public interpretation. Curator: It really makes you question, doesn't it, how institutions shape our understanding of art—and how artists like Agar push against those boundaries. Editor: It's left me thinking about how objects accumulate meaning. Curator: Right? Like a treasure trove, if you only know where to look.