Inferno IV 1967

Curator: Sir Sidney Nolan, born in 1917, created "Inferno IV" at an unknown date. It's now part of the Tate collection, a potent image rendered at 755 x 606 mm. Editor: My immediate reaction is a feeling of disorientation, a swirl of bodies suspended in a disturbing, almost ghostly space. It's unnerving. Curator: It's evocative of Dante's "Inferno," visually capturing the torment and chaos inherent in the text. Nolan was deeply interested in literature, and how it reflected the world in which he lived. Editor: Exactly. The bodies seem almost piled atop one another, reflecting power structures. Who suffers most, and whose gaze dominates? Curator: Nolan's style certainly has an almost nightmarish quality, speaking to the anxieties of the time. The muted tones create a sense of foreboding and despair. Editor: It makes you think about the sociopolitical dimensions of suffering, who is cast into what hell, and why. The work feels incredibly relevant today. Curator: It does indeed. A challenging piece, demanding we confront uncomfortable truths about the human condition. Editor: A reminder that we must resist apathy, and remember our shared humanity in the face of injustice.