Devonshire Cows 1982

Curator: Malcolm Morley's "Devonshire Cows," held here at the Tate, offers a curious vista. The image measures roughly 110 by 80 centimeters. What strikes you first? Editor: It feels… unresolved. The upper register with the sky and clouds versus the cows and landscape feels almost like two separate images forced together, fighting each other, or maybe not even fighting, just coexisting strangely. Curator: Precisely. Consider Morley's process – the flattening of pictorial space, the interplay between representation and abstraction. It speaks to a critique of pastoral imagery, a questioning of idealized landscapes divorced from the realities of agricultural production. Editor: Yes, the materiality is fascinating. The thick layering of paint in the cows contrasts with the thin washes in the sky. And the cows are rendered almost monstrous, like hulking, industrial things in the landscape. Curator: Indeed, it seems Morley is commenting on the romanticization of rural life versus the commodification of animals for consumption. It is hard to escape those ideas when one is focusing on process. Editor: A powerful image, then, that pulls apart our expectations of landscape painting. I found myself challenged by the artist's choices, and forced to consider how I consume such images. Curator: And I see it as a testament to how artistic practices can reveal underlying social and political tensions. Thank you for your insights!