21. ‘Curtains drawn back from balconies of shores’ 1973

Editor: This is Patrick Caulfield’s ‘Curtains drawn back from balconies of shores’ held at the Tate. The stark contrast between black and pink is striking. What do you make of this? Curator: I see an exploration of industrial printing processes. Caulfield flattens the image, reducing depth. Consider the materials; likely screenprint, a process born from mass production, blurring the lines between fine art and accessible design. What does that say about consumption and value? Editor: So, you're saying the process and material are as important as the image itself? That's a shift in perspective for me. Curator: Precisely. Caulfield isn't just depicting a scene; he's highlighting the means by which we reproduce and consume images. It makes you question the art object, doesn't it? Editor: It really does. I'll never look at a print the same way.