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.