Head Black/White 1956

Editor: Here we have William Turnbull's "Head Black/White" from the Tate Collection. It's a print of geometric forms. It feels stark, almost like an architect's unfinished sketch. What do you make of this unusual portrait? Curator: It’s a fascinating study in reduction, isn't it? Turnbull strips the idea of a 'head' down to its barest geometric essence. I find myself wondering if it's less about the head itself and more about the idea of structure, the underlying framework upon which we build identity. Editor: So, almost an x-ray of thought? Curator: Precisely! And maybe a little bit about how we perceive, how little information we actually need to recognize a form. It's a head, but also not. Which perhaps is the most thought-provoking part of it all. Editor: I see what you mean. It's a reminder that less can definitely be more.