Boat Shapes c. 1954

Editor: So, this is "Boat Shapes" by Sir Terry Frost, from the Tate. It's hard to pin down a date. It's quite small, and the brown and black give it a somber, almost haunting feel. What jumps out at you? Curator: Well, I see a playful exploration of form, even if the palette seems muted at first glance. Frost, you see, loved to dance with abstraction. Aren't they evocative of boats, these shapes? Editor: I suppose I can see the boats now that you mention it, but they seem so still, so stoic. Curator: Perhaps they're boats at rest, dreaming of the open sea. Or maybe, just maybe, Frost is inviting us to find our own stories within these simple forms. It's about feeling, not just seeing. Editor: That makes me rethink my initial reaction completely. It's a lot more open-ended than I gave it credit for. Curator: Exactly! It's a quiet piece with a lot to say, if you listen closely enough.