The Fall 1983

Curator: Sean Scully's intaglio print, "The Fall," presents us with a stark composition of layered, horizontal bands. It’s held in the Tate Collections. Editor: My first thought is, "brooding." There's a tension between the upper, darker mass and the lighter, almost suspended rectangle below. Curator: Absolutely, the rough texture achieved through the intaglio process adds a tactile quality to the abstract forms, it is almost like we could grasp its meaning. Editor: I see the “fall” as a metaphor for social and political collapses, the heavier element pressing down, indicative of institutional weight on marginalized communities. Curator: I tend to read it more personally, like the fall from grace, the loss of innocence. The bands could represent barriers, emotional walls we construct, or even a sense of time and place. Editor: Or, perhaps the deconstruction of modernist ideals? The grid, a symbol of order, is fragmented and off-kilter, reflecting a sense of disillusionment. Curator: I appreciate the ambiguity, the capacity of abstraction to hold multiple truths simultaneously. Editor: And that interplay between the personal and the political is what makes it so compelling, isn't it? A fall can be both intimate and collective. Curator: Precisely. Thank you for seeing that, it means a lot. Editor: Thank you. The feeling is mutual.