The Blue Ship c. 1934

Curator: Alfred Wallis’s “The Blue Ship” at the Tate collection presents a fascinating example of naive art from a Cornish mariner turned painter. Editor: It strikes me as a memory painting, all bold colors and flattened space, almost dreamlike in its simplicity. Curator: Wallis began painting late in life, depicting maritime scenes from memory. His work gained recognition through artists like Ben Nicholson and Christopher Wood, who discovered him in St. Ives. Editor: The ship looms large, doesn't it? Almost a symbol of survival amidst the turbulent sea. And those lighthouses, they act like beacons of hope, perhaps guiding not only the ship but also Wallis's own memories. Curator: Indeed. Wallis's artistic vision was profoundly shaped by his life at sea and his experience of a rapidly changing world. His art stands outside academic conventions, offering a raw and intensely personal reflection of the sea. Editor: It's like a map of the mind. It offers an authentic expression, even if the perspective and proportion are non-traditional. A really lovely painting that resonates deeply.