The Origin of the Great Bear 1968

Editor: Okay, next up is Frank Auerbach's "The Origin of the Great Bear," created in 1968 using oil paint. I'm immediately struck by how energetic it is; the thick daubs of paint seem to almost vibrate on the canvas. What do you see in this piece? Curator: It's funny, you know, Auerbach once said he wanted his paintings to look like they’d been “attacked” as much as created. I think you hit the nail on the head with the "energetic" vibe! It reminds me of trying to capture a feeling more than a literal place. Maybe a feeling of London, still raw after the war. Notice how the blocks of colour seem almost to fight with each other, never quite settling. It isn't restful viewing. Does that intensity come across for you? Editor: Absolutely! I see what you mean about feeling over literal place; it's less a landscape and more a landscape impression. And yes, the clashing colours definitely create a kind of restless, uneasy energy. Was that a common theme in his work? Curator: Restlessness, definitely. Auerbach was obsessed with particular places around London and painted them obsessively, returning to the same views again and again. Think about that: he's searching, not simply recording. In each iteration, he was trying to capture the essence of that location, stripping away the superficial, pushing the paint until it almost rebels. Each time adding or refining the truth in that space and time. It is why he is a national treasure. Editor: That’s fascinating. So, he wasn't just painting what he saw, but also what he felt, his personal struggle to truly "know" a place? Curator: Precisely. It’s a dialogue between the artist, the subject, and, ultimately, the paint itself. You are left with raw and exposed beauty that whispers truths of an existence. What do you think you'll take away from experiencing this artwork? Editor: I’ll definitely be thinking about the difference between looking and *seeing*. The layers of meaning beyond just representation.