False Alarm II 1978

Editor: Tim Head's "False Alarm II," held in the Tate Collection, presents a peculiar juxtaposition of emergency tools and a figure. What visual stories do you think it's trying to tell? Curator: The symbols are striking. The bucket labeled “FIRE,” the ladder, rope, the saw, speak to a very specific cultural narrative around danger and preparedness. The figure, seemingly vulnerable, adds a layer of psychological tension. Is it a warning, or a critique? Editor: A critique of what, though? Curator: Perhaps of our reliance on these symbols of safety, contrasted with the undeniable human element. How effectively do these symbols protect us, especially when juxtaposed with our own vulnerabilities? They gain significance and reveal underlying cultural anxieties when combined. Editor: It makes me think about how symbols can simultaneously reassure and create unease. Curator: Precisely. That tension is where the image’s power resides.