Sunrise 16.8.90 1990

Editor: This is Maggi Hambling’s watercolor, "Sunrise 16.8.90," held at the Tate. It feels both immediate and expansive. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Notice how Hambling uses the sunrise, a potent symbol of hope and renewal across cultures, to perhaps reflect on the passage of time. The loose brushstrokes and blurring suggest fleeting moments, almost like a memory. Editor: That's interesting; I hadn't considered the idea of memory. Curator: The colors, too – the cool blues dominating, with just a sliver of warmth – invite us to consider cycles of darkness and light, both literal and metaphorical. Does it remind you of other images? Editor: I see it now. Thanks for pointing out the symbolism. Curator: It's these layers of meaning that make Hambling's work so compelling. Editor: Absolutely. I'll definitely look at sunrises differently now.