Canto X: [no title] 1982

Curator: Esq Tom Phillips gifts us this screenprint, part of his "Canto X" series. The geometry just pops, doesn't it? Editor: Absolutely, it feels like an exploded quilt. The overlaid patterns and text snippets suggest a real layering of labor and time went into this. Curator: It's like he's excavating meaning, pulling up fragments of language and design. That little torn paper bit, "part of his own life… the whole world," feels deeply personal. Editor: Exactly! The use of pre-existing patterns, like the fleur-de-lis, points to a dialogue with history and mass production. He's taking something commonplace and making it… strange. Curator: A beautiful re-contextualization. Almost like a visual poem assembled from found objects. Editor: Indeed, prompting us to consider where value is found in labor and material. Curator: I like that. It adds another layer of meaning to an already rich piece. Editor: It's been a pleasure to see Phillips's print in a new light. Curator: Agreed. A thoughtful exploration of materials, memory and life.