The Inaudible Tenth 1970

Curator: This is Ceri Richards' "The Inaudible Tenth," a print from 1970. It immediately strikes me as dreamlike, floating shapes and hazy colors. Editor: The composition certainly invites that reading. Consider the strategic placement of forms: the ear juxtaposed with what appears to be a quill and inkwell. Curator: The ear, of course, directs our attention to the theme of sound, or its absence, as the title suggests. What symbols do you see at play here? Editor: The floral bouquet, for me, signifies remembrance, perhaps a nod to lost harmonies. And the yellow trapezoid grounds the dreamscape, suggesting a stage or platform. Curator: Yes, the trapezoid establishes a planar relationship, creating a dialogue between flatness and depth. The linear quality of the ear, in contrast, subverts that. Editor: It's a deeply personal work, layering sensory experiences—the visual, the aural, the emotive—into a single, potent image. Curator: Precisely. Richards invites us to contemplate the unseen and unheard through these evocative juxtapositions. Editor: Indeed, a poignant meditation on memory and perception.