Untitled 1977

Curator: Here we have Stephen Cox's "Untitled," currently held in the Tate Collections. Editor: It’s remarkably simple—a strong diagonal divides the surface into fields of yellow and off-white. The texture is quite tactile. Curator: Cox often works with stone and explores the inherent qualities of his materials. This piece, though, seems to be about the pure act of division, almost a symbolic severing. Editor: I wonder about its reception, its potential placement in galleries. That rawness pushes against traditional definitions of fine art and the market forces that uphold them. What labour was involved? Curator: The question of labor and process is central to understanding Cox’s challenge to established art hierarchies. He invites us to consider the making. Editor: Well, it certainly makes you think about what we consider "art" and who gets to decide. Curator: Precisely, and perhaps that's the point of its starkness.