Walking the Dog 1976 - 1979

Curator: This is Keith Arnatt's "Walking the Dog," part of the Tate Collection. I find it wonderfully understated, almost deadpan. Editor: The monochrome tones really emphasize the starkness of the setting, there's a sort of working-class ennui hanging in the air, wouldn't you agree? Curator: Perhaps. I see a quiet dignity, a man and his dog, both posed against a rough stone wall, each with their own silent thoughts. The purse he's carrying seems almost defiant. Editor: Yes, the purse disrupts the heteronormative conventions we might expect. It challenges our assumptions about gender roles and everyday performance. Curator: Absolutely. It's as if Arnatt's saying, "Here I am, eccentricities and all." There's a gentle humor to the work. Editor: But also consider the dog’s position, its gaze; its very existence is entwined with human systems of power and control. Curator: True, it makes you ponder the nuances of those interspecies relationships. It's deceptively simple, layered with subtle observations. Editor: A slice of life framed just so to provoke deeper questions about our place in the world. Curator: Indeed, a quiet moment captured that continues to speak volumes.