Players of Gor, paperback cover 1984

Curator: Oh, my, what a fever dream. This artwork just pulses with such unsettling energy! Editor: Indeed. What we’re looking at is Ken Kelly’s oil painting, "Players of Gor," dating back to 1984, created as a paperback cover. It’s certainly… memorable. Curator: Memorable is one word! My eye immediately goes to the woman suspended in the background, drawing attention while two shrouded figures are locked in this bizarre game of miniature war on a chessboard. It’s this uncanny layering that gets me. Are they strategizing their desires, or is she a pawn in their twisted game? Editor: The chessboard, with its red and yellow squares, evokes ritualistic spaces – think of sacred grounds and transitional zones between realities. It feels as if the artist captured the archetype of competition and erotic power in a singular plane, contrasting anonymity— the covered faces—against overt objectification of the woman. Curator: Right? The symbolism feels both blatant and obscure. Is the lack of facial features in these players alluding to ego death, or perhaps just a critical blindness? It brings out my discomfort with gender dynamics that don't let me feel settled or at peace with it, at all. Editor: This is so very intriguing, actually. Think of veiling practices in many societies— it obscures to reveal, inviting deeper contemplation. The artist challenges viewers to unravel the meaning concealed beneath the surface, while exposing societal themes around power, control, and exploitation, presented allegorically in this arena of strategy and sensual distraction. The tent backdrop hints at constant flux, suggesting power struggles play out wherever humanity congregates. Curator: The longer I look at it, the more it unhinges something in me. Ken Kelly captures an anxiety—about the games people play, the facades we hide behind. It’s as if a forgotten fragment of collective anxiety surfaces. This image just stays with you! Editor: Precisely! The staying power comes from his masterful interweaving of universal symbols: games, sexuality, and concealed identity—urging questions long after you leave this space. An intense reminder how visual cues shape cultural memory—fascinating and potent!