The Bowl of Life 1958 - 1959

Curator: Scottie Wilson's "The Bowl of Life," housed here at the Tate, immediately strikes me as an almost medieval tapestry, full of symbols and dense visual texture. Editor: There's a real focus on the materiality of the support, its size and the texture of what looks like wax crayon on paper board. His process seems quite immediate. Curator: The fish circling within the "bowl" – really a large, green circle – are a recurring motif for Wilson, often representing innocence or the soul. The houses above may be the hopes and dreams above. Editor: It feels like this was made quickly, the tools accessible. Wilson’s background included selling newspapers and trinkets, which seems relevant to his later artistic output. Curator: Absolutely, and consider the swan, the flower, the birds. These are archetypal images, speaking to universal ideas of beauty, nature, and freedom. Editor: But also, I can imagine Wilson making these for sale, or to trade. The labor is transparent; the process isn't hidden at all. Curator: A compelling dialogue between the accessible and the profound, wouldn't you agree? Editor: Yes, something made from accessible things, carrying a hidden depth.