9. ‘Making circles on park lagoons’ 1973

Editor: This print by Patrick Caulfield is titled ‘9. Making circles on park lagoons’. The composition is striking with its bold blocks of colour. How do you see this work in the context of Pop Art? Curator: Caulfield’s simplification of form and use of flat colour relates to Pop Art, but how does it diverge? Consider the absence of direct references to mass media or consumer culture that are often central to Pop’s critique of society. Caulfield’s work can instead be seen to depict banal realities of modern life, inviting a reflection on the everyday environment. Editor: So, it's not just about the image itself, but how it fits into the broader social commentary of its time? Curator: Precisely. Caulfield encourages us to re-evaluate the aesthetic potential embedded in ordinary surroundings. Thinking about the public’s reception of art, what is communicated by taking commonplace and overlooked scenarios? Editor: It makes you wonder about the art world and its relationship to the world we actually live in. Thanks! Curator: Indeed, food for thought.