Margaret in a Chair 1963

Curator: This is Colin Self's "Margaret in a Chair," a small etching and aquatint print made in 1963. Editor: It's immediately striking, isn't it? The figure seems almost overwhelmed by the ornate chair, a sense of confinement. Curator: The etching process itself, the biting of the metal, speaks to a certain kind of pressure, mirroring the sitter's posture. The materials used create a sharp contrast. Editor: The floral patterns, though decorative, feel almost predatory, like a gilded cage. The woman's fur collar—a symbol of status, perhaps—looks like it's swallowing her whole. Curator: Precisely. Self seems to be questioning the social constructs of domesticity and the roles women inhabit within those spaces. The labor involved in creating such a detailed print is also worth noting, it's an act of intense focus. Editor: It's a potent image, and it leaves you pondering the weight of societal expectations and the symbols that bind us. Curator: Indeed, it prompts questions about the very fabric of our lives and the labor beneath the surface.