To the Studios 1991

Editor: Here we have Frank Auerbach's "To the Studios," painted in 1991. The application of oil paint is incredibly thick, almost sculptural. I find myself drawn to the street scene it depicts. What jumps out at you when you see this work? Curator: What's striking is the physicality of the paint itself. Auerbach built up these dense layers – look at the visible effort, the labor involved in applying so much material. It isn't just representing a street; it's about the very act of making. The oil becomes almost like the buildings it’s depicting, a tangible construction. Do you notice how this changes our perception of "cityscape?" Editor: I see what you mean! The heavy layering and texture transform a familiar urban scene. Does the way Auerbach uses materials connect to social aspects beyond just depicting a place? Curator: Absolutely. Consider the cost of this amount of oil paint, the time invested. This connects it to notions of value, and the art market of his time. Expressionism becomes commodified in this act of extreme production. And what about the studio implied in the title, "To the Studios?" This invokes a whole system of artistic production and labor. It’s not simply a beautiful view; it's an examination of artistic endeavor itself. Editor: So, through the sheer volume of oil paint, Auerbach critiques art creation itself, as both labour and commodity? Curator: Precisely. Auerbach forces us to confront art's materiality and its entanglement with socio-economic systems. It challenges the idea that art exists in some purely aesthetic realm. Editor: That’s fascinating. I had seen it as just an Expressionist landscape, but your explanation reveals a whole new layer of interpretation related to the art-making process and consumption. Curator: Exploring art through the lens of material and labour definitely reshapes our understanding of the artist’s purpose.