[no title] 1978

Curator: What strikes you first about this untitled work by Patrick Heron? The image measures 432 by 302 millimeters, and resides here at the Tate. Editor: The sheer, vibrant boldness! The color choices feel quite declarative, almost confrontational in their intensity. Curator: Heron’s focus was less on representation and more about the act of painting itself. We should note that he often produced his prints at Curwen Studio. Editor: And how does the means of production affect our reading? Could the limitations imposed by printmaking actually embolden the artist, stripping the image down to its essentials? Curator: I think that the material conditions of printmaking do steer Heron's choices, shaping the bold simplicity we observe in the final work. Editor: Ultimately, it's the interplay between these forms and hues that captivates. Curator: Indeed. Heron's engagement with materiality gives us a vital lens to understanding.