A Rose Among Many Waters 1952

Editor: Here we have Jack Butler Yeats' "A Rose Among Many Waters," currently at the Tate. It's incredibly textured, almost sculptural with the thick paint. What strikes me is the visible labor in building up the surface; what's your take on it? Curator: The materiality is key. Look at how Yeats uses impasto, the layering of paint, not just to depict form but to draw attention to the very act of painting itself. How does this process, this tangible effort, speak to the social context of art production at the time? Editor: I guess it moves away from the idea of art being effortlessly beautiful, and more towards showing the work involved? Curator: Exactly! The rough, almost aggressive application of paint challenges the traditional boundary between 'high art' and craft, forcing us to consider the labour inherent in its creation. It makes you wonder about the availability of materials at the time, and even the artist's own physical engagement with his work. Editor: That makes so much sense. I'll never look at impasto the same way again.