L’Heure du Thé, Argenton-sur-Creuse 1980

Editor: So, this is Anthony Green's *L’Heure du Thé, Argenton-sur-Creuse* from the Tate. It's huge, nearly two by two and a half meters! The surface is so slick. It looks like oil on canvas. I'm struck by the artificiality of the scene. What stands out to you? Curator: For me, it is the constructed nature of the scene. The artist’s hand is clearly present, dictating how we view the materials and subjects within this bizarre architectural space. The surface sheen you observed, that is deliberate; the artist is highlighting the artifice of the production. How does this clash with more traditional oil painting? Editor: Well, I guess it's trying to say something about artifice versus reality, and the labor involved. I never thought about it that way. Thanks! Curator: Exactly. It challenges the idea of painting as a window onto the world, drawing attention to its own making and the labor that creates the world.