[no title] 1989

Curator: Let's consider this untitled piece by Thérèse Oulton, its dimensions roughly 385 by 343 mm, now residing in the Tate Collections. The gestural marks of the brush give it a raw quality. Editor: Initially, it evokes a sense of turbulence, like looking through a rain-streaked window at a fire. Is it meant to represent destruction, or perhaps transformation? Curator: The composition is intriguing. Note how Oulton uses contrasting colours—the fiery oranges and yellows against the muted grays—to create a dynamic tension. The brushstrokes themselves seem to embody a push and pull. Editor: I see a connection to climate anxiety. Those turbulent brushstrokes, that sense of fiery destruction… it speaks to the precariousness of our environment and how it impacts people's lives around the globe. Curator: I appreciate your reading, yet I find its beauty resides in the pure interaction of colour and form. It doesn't need to signify anything beyond itself. Editor: Perhaps, but to ignore the potential for meaning would be a disservice, wouldn't it? Curator: Perhaps indeed.