Boys  1981

Editor: This is "Boys" by Brian Clarke. The image is a grid of faces, each obscured by a cross. It’s unsettling and repetitive. What do you make of it? Curator: The repetition and obstruction certainly create a sense of unease. Consider the context. Clarke emerged during a period when debates around representation and identity were intensifying. The use of the cross, coupled with fragmented images, prompts questions about visibility, erasure, and perhaps even censorship within societal structures. How do you think the title "Boys" plays into this? Editor: It makes me wonder about the specific identities being obscured and their relation to historical power structures. I see what you mean about censorship. It gives me a lot to think about! Curator: Indeed. Art often functions as a mirror reflecting, and sometimes distorting, our social realities.