Indian Tree 1990 - 1991

Curator: Here we have Howard Hodgkin’s *Indian Tree*, housed right here at the Tate. Editor: My first thought? It's like a memory of a tree, saturated in feeling. Bold, almost joyful! Curator: Yes, Hodgkin's process was all about layering emotional impressions and lived experience, less about direct representation. It’s paint on board, quite tactile when you see it in person. The "Indian" of the title connects to Hodgkin's deep relationship with India. Editor: Those sweeping brushstrokes! You can almost feel the artist’s hand, the energy of the gesture. It's not just depicting a tree; it’s embodying the essence of "tree-ness," if that makes sense. Curator: Exactly. He’s collapsing the boundaries between observation, memory, and the act of painting itself. Editor: It makes you consider the labor of artmaking, too. The physical application of the paint, the sheer number of strokes... Curator: Hodgkin pushes us to see painting as an event, a performance of color and form, not just a static image. Editor: Well, it certainly shakes up my idea of what a tree portrait can be! A vivid reminder to look beyond the obvious.