The Red Hill 1968

Editor: So, here we have Henri Hayden's "The Red Hill," its date is unknown, but it's held at the Tate. I'm really drawn to how the red contrasts with the muted blues and browns. What do you make of this landscape? Curator: It's almost primal, isn't it? Red, that colour of passion, of earth, dominating the scene. It feels like Hayden's digging into the very essence of the landscape, that visceral connection we have to the land. Does it evoke a particular place for you, or a feeling? Editor: More of a feeling, I think. A sort of raw energy. I was wondering, why not a green hill? Curator: Exactly! It's a choice, a deliberate distortion of reality to heighten the emotional impact. Perhaps it's about the heat of the earth, the fiery core beneath the surface. Or maybe it’s just that Hayden was feeling particularly bold that day! Editor: That makes so much sense! I'll never see a landscape the same way! Curator: And that's the magic, isn't it? Art cracks us open, lets the light in.