Jackass Free

Curator: Immediately, I'm struck by the layering and the delicate balance between representation and abstraction. Editor: Indeed. What we have here is "Jackass Free" by Stanley Boxer. There’s no date associated with the work in the Tate's records, but Boxer lived from 1926 to 2000. Curator: The materiality is fascinating. I'd be keen to know what processes were involved in its making. Editor: It seems like the materials are working together to give us a dreamlike vision. The image is built from these loosely etched animals. I'm curious about the labor involved, and how Boxer blurred lines between printmaking and more traditional forms. Curator: I agree. There is something very dreamlike and ethereal about the composition. The animals are familiar, yet rendered in such a way that they feel otherworldly. I think there is a strong visual tension to be found between its form and subject. Editor: Perhaps it’s this merging of visual motifs and techniques that makes “Jackass Free” so affecting, an example of art that challenges the hierarchies of artistic production. Curator: Ultimately, the formal elements are united to give the viewer a glimpse into Boxer’s creative vision. Editor: Right, and understanding how that vision was materially produced invites a deeper consideration of artistic value itself.