The Fool 1944

Editor: This is Cecil Collins' "The Fool," a drawing. There's so much detail despite it being black and white. What strikes you about its creation? Curator: I see a deliberate, repetitive mark-making. Consider the labour involved in creating these dense patterns. Are they decorative, or do they point to a deeper commentary on the societal role of the "fool"? Editor: It's interesting to consider that the marks are more than decoration. Curator: Exactly. Look at the owl. Is it a symbol of wisdom, or another crafted element within this performance? The artist offers us something to consider about what is labor and what is creative work. Editor: I never thought about that. It gives the image another dimension.