8. A Waterfall 

Editor: Here we have Alexander Cozens’ “8. A Waterfall” from the Tate Collections. Its stark contrasts almost make it feel like a Rorschach test. What images or symbols jump out at you? Curator: The blobs are striking, aren’t they? Cozens used a technique he called “blot drawing.” He believed random forms could trigger the imagination, unlocking deeper emotional responses to landscape. Editor: So the waterfall image is almost secondary to the feeling it evokes? Curator: Precisely. Waterfalls often symbolize the passage of time, cleansing, and renewal. Cozens taps into that archetypal resonance through abstraction, inviting us to project our own memories and emotions onto the scene. Do you feel a sense of peace, perhaps, or something more turbulent? Editor: I see both, actually. The dark shapes hint at something powerful beneath the surface. It’s interesting how a seemingly simple image can hold so much. Curator: Indeed. Cozens understood that the most potent symbols are often those that resonate on a subconscious level, sparking a dialogue between the viewer and their own inner landscape.