Here We are in Croydon 1979

Curator: This piece is called "Here We are in Croydon" by Howard Hodgkin, part of the Tate Collections. Hodgkin was born in 1932. Editor: It's instantly striking. The red frame, so raw and visceral, almost aggressively surrounds the darker, more muted interior space. It feels very contained. Curator: Hodgkin's work is often described as abstract, but it's deeply rooted in personal experience, particularly memories of places and encounters. Croydon, a suburb of London, likely holds significance for him. Editor: The brushstrokes are so visible, the materiality is key here. You can see the texture of the brush against the paper; it gives it an immediacy, a sense of the artist's hand directly at work. Curator: The title adds another layer. Croydon, not exactly known for its glamour, becomes a site of intense emotional or sensory recollection. Editor: It challenges the high/low art divide. Hodgkin’s elevating this seemingly mundane location through gesture and material. Curator: Exactly, and the fact that it's a print, a medium often associated with reproduction and accessibility, democratizes the personal experience. Editor: It leaves you thinking about the labor of artistic production and the social implications of even seemingly abstract gestures. I wonder what specific memories he was grappling with. Curator: It certainly makes one reconsider the role of the artist and the politics embedded in transforming the everyday. Editor: Yes, it's far more engaging with the everyday than one might assume at first glance.