Drum 1989 - 1990

Editor: This is Grenville Davey’s "Drum" from the Tate Collection. The scale is pretty imposing—they really dominate the gallery space. What kind of visual symbolism do you see in these forms? Curator: Well, the drum form itself, repeated, suggests a cyclical nature, a rhythmic pulse. Does it invoke a sense of ritual, perhaps, or even something more primal in your own experience? Editor: I suppose I do feel a slight connection to something ancient, with the circular shape and muted color. It almost feels monumental. Curator: Precisely. Consider how basic shapes, like circles, resonate across cultures, representing wholeness, continuity, and even divinity. The artist distills the drum, stripping away the noise to reveal a more essential, symbolic form. Editor: That's a great way to look at it! I didn't immediately think of it as symbolic. Curator: Art often works on multiple levels simultaneously. Sometimes, what seems simple can hold the deepest cultural weight.