Dockland II 1972

Editor: This is Gerd Winner’s "Dockland II" from the Tate Collection. It’s a print of a street corner dominated by high brick walls. There’s almost something ominous about it. What symbols are at play here? Curator: Notice the use of the street sign "Red Mead Lane." Mead carries connotations of ancient rituals, a drink of celebration and communion, perhaps hinting at a lost communal spirit within the harsh reality of the docklands. Editor: So, it’s not just a street name? Curator: Precisely. The decaying brick suggests the passage of time, the fading of memory. The location becomes a stage for reflection on history and identity. Editor: That's fascinating; I didn't think of it that way. Curator: Art often invites us to see beyond the surface, to excavate meaning from familiar symbols and places.