Page 5, State I 1998

Editor: This is "Page 5, State I" by John Walker. It’s a small etching, maybe unnervingly so, and the figure seems trapped, almost bandaged. What do you make of its claustrophobic energy? Curator: It feels like a primal scream rendered in ink, doesn't it? Walker often wrestled with confinement – think of his wartime childhood. Notice how the aggressive lines almost cage the figure. Does that change your initial feeling? Editor: Definitely. Knowing that makes the image feel less abstract and more personal, more about lived experience. Curator: Exactly. Sometimes the most chaotic art holds the most carefully guarded stories.