Vertical Rhythms 

Editor: Let’s explore Terry Frost’s "Vertical Rhythms," a painting that, as the name suggests, is filled with stacked geometric shapes and contrasting bold lines. I find the arrangement both playful and meticulously calculated. It is reminiscent of the Op art movement somehow. What are your initial thoughts on this abstract composition? Curator: It's interesting to consider how the gallery setting might shape our perception of this piece. The institutional framing around "Vertical Rhythms" and others like it dictates the values we assign it. Frost's art developed alongside debates about what constituted "British" art after the war, and his style arguably answered calls for optimism. Editor: Optimism through geometric abstraction? Can you elaborate? Curator: Certainly. Consider the historical context: post-war Britain grappling with identity. Abstraction offered an escape from traditional representations. Also, there were social functions of modernism with new materials appearing, where some galleries tried to build a consensus and others a kind of alternative exhibition venue to allow access to everyone. How do you view the relationship between these shapes? Do they exist harmoniously or in tension? Editor: There's a push and pull; the straight lines contrasting with curves is interesting! I see how a gallery could try to define the visual order from this seeming chaos. I have started thinking of the artist and the curators behind, deciding who can showcase work where. Curator: Precisely. And who gets seen, remembered and ultimately influences the definition of "good" art. It’s a conversation worth having. Editor: Thanks, I now see how social contexts profoundly shapes art, beyond pure aesthetics. I will revisit what the official reviews of his shows in this period say! Curator: Yes! To analyze an art work, one should consider all parties involved. It all contributes to its historical footprint.