Menelaus and Helen 1973 - 1974

Editor: This is Dame Elisabeth Frink's "Menelaus and Helen," currently residing at the Tate. I'm struck by the starkness of the figures, almost like shadows against the muted colors. What do you make of it? Curator: It’s a piece that invites us to consider the masks we wear, doesn't it? Frink was deeply affected by the dehumanizing aspects of war, and I think this comes through. The seals, almost comically, stand between the classical figures and the man walking by...perhaps indifferent, perhaps not. What do you see? Editor: I see them as a barrier. A sort of visual representation of the emotional distance between the figures. Curator: Perhaps, yes. Frink often explored themes of power, vulnerability, and the human condition with such directness and a bit of playful absurdity, and these symbolic creatures are the key to that. A little bit like life, I think. Editor: I see that now. It is an interesting reflection.