Dimensions: support: 610 x 1829 mm
Copyright: © The estate of Patrick Heron | CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Curator: Patrick Heron created "Scarlet, Lemon and Ultramarine: March 1957," now part of the Tate Collections. Measuring roughly 61 by 183 centimeters, it's a vibrant example of British abstract expressionism. Editor: It hits me like a chord, almost musical – the colors vibrate against each other, especially that intense lemon yellow. It’s both calming and energizing, wouldn't you say? Curator: The title itself draws attention to Heron's emphasis on pure color. Consider this work in the context of post-war Britain, where abstraction was often viewed with suspicion. Editor: Yet, there's something inherently optimistic in these blocks, a refusal to be confined. I see a dance of hues, an almost playful experiment in feeling. Curator: Exactly. Heron’s work helped pave the way for greater acceptance of non-figurative art, opening up possibilities for future generations. Editor: I am struck by how modern it still feels. It's a reminder that art can connect us to elemental sensations, regardless of time or place. Curator: Absolutely. It encapsulates a pivotal moment in British art history. Editor: And a timeless expression of joy!
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http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/heron-scarlet-lemon-and-ultramarine-march-1957-t00962
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This painting was made at Zennor, Cornwall. Heron has recalled that in the same month he 'painted the first of my other explicit vertical stripe paintings, the best known of which were those included in my exhibition at the Redfern Gallery in February, 1958. I painted other pictures in March, 1957, in which the colour was equally brilliant and flat, but in which the element of the vertical band or stripe was slightly modified'. Gallery label, August 2004