Garrick Club 1977

Curator: David Gentleman's "Garrick Club" drawing, currently residing at the Tate, presents a rather melancholic architectural scene. Editor: My first thought is how stark and imposing the building looks. All those rigid lines—it almost feels like a stage set for a play about power and exclusion. Curator: The perspective is so interesting, isn't it? Almost like a memory fading around the edges, focusing on the rigid facade. It makes you wonder who is allowed inside. Editor: Exactly. The Garrick Club has historically been a space dominated by men in the arts. The drawing, with its gray tones and looming architecture, speaks volumes about gendered spaces. Curator: Absolutely. The lone figures in the foreground seem so small against the grandeur of the building, dwarfed almost. It's very evocative. Editor: It highlights the club's social gatekeeping. It makes me think about who is represented in the arts and, more importantly, who is not. Curator: Indeed. Gentleman subtly captures the weight of that history. Editor: It’s a reminder that even seemingly neutral spaces carry significant social baggage. Curator: Makes you wonder about all the stories that building holds. Editor: And whose stories get to be told. Powerful stuff.