[no title] 1998

Curator: This etching by John Walker presents a stark contrast. The size of the image itself is 176 by 149 mm. Editor: It feels somber, almost like a memento mori. The skull-like form is quite prominent, and there's this smaller figure lurking above it. Curator: Walker’s process is interesting here. Notice the aquatint – how it builds texture, almost like eroded material. It raises questions about artistic labor in the printmaking tradition. Editor: The figure seems almost totemic, doesn't it? As if it's a guardian or perhaps an ancestor overseeing the skull. The skull is a well-known symbol of mortality, so is this about remembrance? Curator: Perhaps. Or maybe it's about how Walker, through layering and mark-making, transforms mundane materials into something emotionally charged. The grit itself speaks volumes. Editor: I agree. And seeing these symbols together evokes a quiet, reflective space. Curator: A potent piece, whatever interpretation we choose. Editor: Indeed; one that lingers in the mind.