1. 10 and 1. 11 1973 - 1974

Curator: This is John Stezaker's "1. 10 and 1. 11," held in the Tate Collections. It measures about 56 by 44 centimeters. What are your first thoughts? Editor: It feels clinical. The grid layout and repetitive imagery remind me of psychological testing or some kind of bureaucratic cataloging system. Curator: Yes, Stezaker often explores the cultural significance of images, specifically their power to shape identity and desire. Here, the use of found images, arranged in this structured way, might be commenting on how we classify and understand the world around us. Editor: Perhaps critiquing institutional attempts to control visual narratives? By recontextualizing these images, Stezaker subtly undermines their original intent, opening them up to new interpretations. Curator: Precisely. His work challenges the idea of originality and authorship, inviting us to question the power dynamics inherent in image-making. Editor: It makes you reconsider the value we place on images and how readily we accept their constructed meanings. Curator: Indeed, a powerful meditation on the politics of seeing.