Napkin and Onions 1972

Curator: Here we have Patrick Caulfield’s “Napkin and Onions,” currently residing in the Tate Collections. What’s your initial reaction? Editor: It's…strikingly simple. The bold lines and flat colors give it a graphic, almost Pop Art feel. I'm immediately drawn to the interplay of domestic materials. Curator: Yes, Caulfield often played with the mundane. He elevates these humble objects—onions, a simple napkin—with that stark, graphic style. Editor: And it’s interesting how he flattens the space. There’s almost a tension between the illusion of depth and the explicit flatness of the picture plane. How were these images printed onto the piece? Curator: It's a screen print, enabling those intense, uniform blocks of color. The materiality contributes to the image’s impact. Editor: Thinking about the means of production really underscores Caulfield's engagement with everyday life. Even the most unremarkable materials can become compelling subjects. Curator: Absolutely. And that’s what makes it linger in the mind, don’t you think? It’s a quiet meditation on the beauty of the ordinary. Editor: I agree, the quotidian, represented so boldly. It makes you reconsider what is of value.