Untitled 1972

Curator: Here we have an untitled work by the British artist John Walker. It resides in the Tate collection. What are your first thoughts? Editor: Hmm, a quiet piece. Evokes a sense of weathered bronze, like fragments of ancient shields, or maybe even celestial bodies against a night sky. Curator: Exactly! Walker often incorporates geometric forms, and here the ovals and that almost shield-like shape provide a visual anchor amidst the textured background. Reminds me of symbolic armory. Editor: Symbols of protection, certainly, but also perhaps of hidden knowledge. The shapes, though simple, possess a weightiness, a gravitas. As if they hold a secret language. I feel a somber mood. Curator: I can see that. It feels deeply personal, this quiet contemplation. Editor: Indeed. A contemplative piece. Almost feels like a meditation. Curator: It really does.