San Francisco 1966

Curator: This is Philip Sutton’s “San Francisco,” held in the Tate collection. It measures roughly 51 by 51 centimeters. Editor: At first glance, it evokes a child’s map, simplified shapes in primary colors, imbued with an almost naive joy. Curator: The composition certainly hinges on the interplay between those biomorphic green shapes against the blue ground. Notice how the red and dark blue anchor the corners and lower edge. Editor: Green and blue, often read as symbols of growth and tranquility, here perhaps represent the natural landscape of San Francisco. They could also echo the Golden Gate Bridge and its parklands. Curator: Semiotically, the stark contrast and flattened perspective deny depth, emphasizing surface. This creates a dynamic tension between representation and abstraction. Editor: The simplification also gives a sense of the city as a beacon of hope, a new Eden perhaps, especially for the counter-culture movements associated with San Francisco. Curator: I concur. The work achieves a synthesis of formal rigor and symbolic resonance. Editor: Indeed, an inviting artwork and one that provides much to ponder.