Study for ‘Shuttlecocks’ c. 1934

Editor: Here we have William Roberts's Study for 'Shuttlecocks', though undated, likely from the mid-20th century. It's a pencil drawing with grid lines, quite small. I find the figures oddly stylized and almost robotic. What do you make of this composition? Curator: It's a fascinating glimpse into Roberts's process, isn’t it? The grid reveals his structured approach to depicting movement and social interaction. I see a playful tension between the rigid forms and the dynamic subject of people playing. Editor: So the grid helped him loosen up? Curator: Perhaps it was a method for control, paradoxically freeing him to exaggerate and distort figures in the final work. It's like life: a structured dance with spontaneous moments. A bit absurd, yes? Editor: I guess it shows how much thought goes into something that looks so simple! Curator: Precisely! It is the unseen scaffolding that gives the artwork its unique character.