Party scene no date

Curator: This is William Roberts' "Party Scene," currently held in the Tate Collections, rendered in charcoal. Editor: It looks like a chaotic jumble! The grid underneath hints at a very structured, almost architectural composition fighting to emerge. Curator: Exactly! Roberts was deeply involved with Vorticism, which sought to capture the dynamism of the machine age. You see that here in the angular forms and fragmented figures. The charcoal itself adds a sense of immediacy. Editor: The graininess and smudging of the charcoal also contribute to a sense of activity. Look at the pressure exerted on the paper, and the red grid as a means of standardizing the image. Curator: It's a fascinating tension between control and spontaneity, isn't it? Editor: Indeed. It encourages a consideration of the materials and the work that produced the sketch in the first place. Curator: An apt demonstration of form meeting function. Editor: Precisely. A confluence of planning and practice in Roberts' artwork!