Four Shifts I 1977 - 1978

Editor: Here we have John Loker's "Four Shifts I," a very large painting from the Tate collection. I'm struck by the brushstrokes and how they seem to build up these layered forms. What is your take on the process apparent in this work? Curator: The visible labor is key. Loker meticulously constructs these "shifts" through repeated application of paint. It asks us to consider the artist's hand, the physical act of creation, and how that affects the meaning we derive. Are we looking at a landscape, or a record of its making? Editor: So, it's less about what it depicts and more about how it came to be? Curator: Precisely. The materiality and the methodical process of layering become the subject. Thinking about the labor involved encourages a deeper engagement. I find this approach valuable for challenging our preconceived notions. Editor: I'm starting to see how focusing on the material transforms the way we engage with the painting itself. Curator: Exactly! And that is the essence of materialist analysis.