The Consecration of Saint Nicholas (2) 1998

Editor: This is Leon Kossoff's "The Consecration of Saint Nicholas (2)", an etching on paper. The frantic energy of the lines almost obscures the figures. What can you tell me about it? Curator: Look at the dense, repetitive lines. The labor involved in creating this print, the almost obsessive mark-making, speaks to a devotional act itself. How does this painstaking process relate to the idea of consecration, the making of something sacred through ritual and work? Editor: So, it's not just about the subject, but the physical act of creating the artwork that matters? Curator: Precisely. The material process mirrors the spiritual process depicted, blurring the boundaries between the mundane labor of art-making and the elevation of Saint Nicholas. It challenges traditional notions of sacred imagery. Editor: That's a really interesting way to look at it; the means becomes the message. Curator: Indeed. It's a reminder that even the most seemingly "spiritual" subjects are rooted in material realities and human endeavor.