One to Four by  Alan Green

One to Four 1982

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Dimensions: support: 1706 x 5118 mm

Copyright: © Alan Green | CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate

Curator: Here we have Alan Green’s “One to Four”, a large-scale abstract painting held in the Tate collection. Editor: It strikes me as quite serene, almost meditative. The blues certainly evoke a sense of calm. Curator: Green’s manipulation of color and form is deliberate. Notice the subtle variations in the blue panels, contrasted by that bold rectangle of red. Editor: I wonder about the red’s placement. Is it a commentary on the intrusion of passion or anger into a space of tranquility? Does the title "One to Four" suggest the painting represents a progression of thought or experience? Curator: That tension between order and disruption is at the heart of Green’s work. The composition invites us to consider the relationships between these visual elements. Editor: Perhaps the red challenges the viewer to see beyond the surface and question the systems in which we operate. Curator: Indeed. The painting’s inherent qualities open the door to multiple interpretations. Editor: A powerful example of how simplicity can provoke complex thinking.

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tate about 1 month ago

http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/green-one-to-four-t03443

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tate about 1 month ago

Alan Green said he wanted to make ‘ordinary paintings that can be looked at over and over again’. He was keen for his paintings to function in two ways: as a two-dimensional pictorial space, as well as a three-dimensional material object in real space. Green achieved this by painting restrained canvases, which seem to respond differently to subtle environmental changes. His minimal surfaces delicately register slight changes in the surrounding light. This forces viewers to be aware of the physical context of the painting, as well as their position in relation to it. Gallery label, September 2004