Untitled 1974

Curator: Immediately striking, isn't it? This "Untitled" piece is from Roger Hilton. While undated, it resides within the Tate Collections. Editor: It makes me feel wonderfully unsettled. The stark black ink, almost violent in its application, against the bare white… it’s like a scream trapped on paper. Curator: Hilton's work, particularly his drawings, often reflect a postwar anxiety, engaging with themes of fragmentation and alienation. The expressive linework, the obscured figure… Editor: Obscured indeed! I love that it doesn't give you everything. It feels like a half-remembered dream, or a secret whispered just out of earshot. Is it a self portrait? Is it a man or woman? Curator: The ambiguity is certainly potent. Hilton challenges conventional notions of representation, pushing against established norms regarding gender and identity. Editor: It's messy and raw, but the more I look at it, the more I see the beauty in its imperfection. Curator: And perhaps, in that imperfection, a reflection of our own complex humanity. Editor: Absolutely. I'm leaving here feeling both invigorated and slightly haunted.