Dimensions: support: 787 x 984 mm
Copyright: © Trevor Bell | CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Curator: Here we have Trevor Bell's "Folded Strata," held at the Tate Collections. There's no date listed for this piece, but the dimensions are approximately 787 by 984 millimeters. Editor: It strikes me as primordial. The stark contrast and layered forms evoke a sense of geological time and hidden landscapes. Curator: Yes, the title invites such an interpretation. I'm drawn to the process, the building up of layers, the evidence of the artist's hand in the smudging and layering of the paint. What materials did he employ to achieve this textural complexity? Editor: I see potent symbolic tension here. The dark form feels like a protective barrier, while the lighter shape suggests a yearning for openness. It could speak to broader themes of protection and exposure. Curator: Interesting. I wonder what Bell intended by leaving the work without a specific date. It seems to invite us to focus less on a specific moment and more on the enduring qualities of the materials themselves. Editor: Ultimately, it's about how these shapes resonate within us, tapping into our collective understanding of form and space. Curator: Indeed. A testament to the power of materiality to evoke deeper meaning. Editor: A very effective composition, leaving us with much to consider.
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Folded Strata 1991 is one of eight abstract works on paper in Tate’s collection that were created by the English artist Trevor Bell between 1988 and 2007 (Tate T13397–8, T13400–5). A two-part shape outlined in charcoal occupies most of the composition, the left half of which is further delineated by thicker, but more lightly applied lines of charcoal that appear concentrically within the form. These concentric lines further enclose areas of thickly painted grey and black. The inside of the right half of the shape is mostly white, with a central area painted a very light grey, below which are thin charcoal lines leading into the white from the left-hand side. The background is white on the right-hand side, and light brown on the left, where a narrow area of white separates it from the charcoal shape.
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