An Octopus 1990, Some Beans 1990
These two images are identical except for the pile of beans in one of them and the octopus in the other. The strong lighting and deep shadows create a mood of privacy, even secrecy, accentuated by the setting, which appears to be a cellar. Both beans and octopus seem out of place on the worn and mismatched tables. A pair of pictures naturally invites comparison, but here the rules for doing so are left undefined. Wall considers these works to mark a new direction, one that allows for greater uncertainty in the meanings of his pictures.