Study for ‘The Vision of Ezekiel’ c. 1912

Curator: This arresting image is David Bomberg's "Study for ‘The Vision of Ezekiel’," housed here at the Tate. Editor: Wow, my first thought? Claustrophobia. All those figures crammed into...are those boxes? It feels tense. Curator: Absolutely. Bomberg, a Jewish artist, was deeply engaged with biblical themes, especially regarding diaspora and displacement. The grid structure emphasizes confinement and perhaps alludes to the fragmentation of identity. Editor: It's like they're trying to break free, reach for something, but they're trapped in this...geometric nightmare. It makes you wonder what Ezekiel saw that inspired this. Curator: Indeed. Bomberg's focus shifted away from more literal representations to explore the emotional and psychological states of collective experience, reflecting the turbulence of the early 20th century. Editor: Yeah, there’s definitely an underlying sense of collective anxiety. It’s interesting to see that tension translated into such a structured composition, though. Curator: Bomberg's radical approach to representing the human form and his exploration of geometric abstraction invite us to consider how collective trauma shapes individual experiences. Editor: It’s a pretty powerful statement about the struggle to maintain your humanity in a world that feels increasingly, well, boxed in.