Tree in Tretire II 1976

Curator: Up next we have Frank Auerbach's "Tree in Tretire II" from 1976, currently residing here at Tate Britain. It's an etching, showcasing a fascinating approach to landscape. Editor: My first reaction? Dynamic chaos! There’s this swirling energy—it's almost unsettling, like the tree is about to explode. Curator: Indeed. The piece employs strong, decisive lines. If you follow them, you’ll notice that, far from being chaotic, the composition meticulously constructs form and space through dense, layered marks. The lines almost seem to fight each other for dominance, don't they? Editor: Yes! It reminds me of a thunderstorm. Are we even certain it's a tree? It's so abstracted, like he's capturing the very essence of 'treeness' rather than its literal representation. It lacks all of those details that allow us to name it precisely; details related to color, size, shape, and type of tree are stripped away in favor of its basic architectural design. Curator: Well, that tension between representation and abstraction is quintessential Auerbach. And although at first glance you see merely some aggressive, overlapping line work, know that the medium here—etching—requires incredible premeditation, even before you bring the tool to the plate. Editor: I keep imagining Auerbach intensely observing the tree in Tretire, not just looking but almost wrestling with it in his mind before translating it onto the etching plate. What do you think he wanted the viewer to perceive with it? It must be something that has a universal appeal because it obviously resonated beyond the particular, geographical place where it stands. Curator: Auerbach said, regarding his drawings of trees, that what is crucial to capture in these renderings is that each has to possess the potential of seeming “uniquely alive”. Editor: “Uniquely alive”—I love that. And looking again, I definitely see it, the struggle to express a particular vision or insight... Curator: Precisely. What begins as this explosive chaos, upon further investigation is the embodiment of resilience. Editor: That really shifted my perception. A tiny, linear monument to a complex inner life... quite a bit packed into a deceptively "simple" print.