Pose Work for Plinths I 1971

Curator: Bruce McLean's "Pose Work for Plinths I" features a grid of a figure interacting with minimalist white cubes. It's quite striking. Editor: My initial impression is one of playful absurdity, a sort of choreographic study using mundane objects. The contrast of black against white is stark. Curator: Indeed, the starkness emphasizes the body as form, echoing minimalist sculpture. The grid format allows us to consider each pose as a distinct proposition. Editor: I see it as a commentary on the performative aspect of art-making. What labour is involved in "posing," in constructing these images, and how does it challenge the idea of the artist? Curator: Perhaps, but I'm drawn to the repetition, the subtle variations in posture. It reminds me of early photographic motion studies, a kind of deconstruction of the human form. Editor: But the work itself implies its own making, the physicality and arrangement—consider the context and constraints the artist dealt with to produce the image we see. Curator: That's an interesting point. Ultimately, for me, the piece plays with our expectations of sculpture, offering a human, dynamic alternative to static forms. Editor: And for me, it is a way of emphasizing the material conditions that led to the production of this document and the artistic potential to which they allude.