Page 44 - Studio International - June 1974

seen in some pictures or Hofmann, Noland and breathing relationship of colour and surface
in depth to allow full plasticity to colour and Louis. But bright-colour-different-hue called for something else.
space. When one adds that Hofmann operates juxtaposition of areas of similar size across After the first simple intuition to make
primarily with opaque colour, which he need not a visually flat surface has been a tough nut paintings which involved horizontal extension
have done (forgive the impertinence, there are a because this form of composition thwarts visual plus elision, through more delicate hue variation
few notable exceptions), the mind grows integration. When surfaces, clearly discrete by than he had been accustomed to using, Noland
delirious at the prospects. Is not illusionism in means of saturated hue, operate at full intensity rapidly ran the gamut of variation in band width,
some shape or form a prerequisite of the kind of on a visually flat surface, they oppose hue variation and grouping, picture size, height
release into full plasticity which painters seek ? combination by their loudly declared difference, and width, until arriving at the single centred
Some technical pointers : Matisse's technique even when illusionistic devices are used to horizontal broad-band paintings with breaking
was to modulate the ground of the picture by force them together. It is easier and usually narrow bands at top and bottom, of 1970. These
means of surfaces that are light and airy, from better to vary colour intensity, to use a red and latter horizontals tend to read as a whole of
intensely light-reflecting opaque (white) and a greyish red rather than a red and a green. Still, course, but also as a kind of gentle rising up
translucent colour (bright colour stained over who had so much surface to hold colour, across surface and gliding down surface by
brilliant priming) to light-absorbent earth heightened the integration of his surface vertical driftings of the eye across surface; in
colours, both opaque and translucent and compositions by varying other colour elements doing so, slight but crucial illusions of sinking
through to black. more than hue difference. But the paths and and floating, in depth as well as up and down,
Monet's technique in the Nymphéas paintings traces of twentieth-century art may be coming occur, at times as no more than a ripple, at times
was to paint a light-reflecting luminous ground together in ways that are hard to discern for with considerable sharpness. I do not see that
on the original, in this case sensed as neutral their very closeness. The naturalness, there is anything to prevent these illusions from
ground, and to use this ground upon a ground to "surfaceness", compression, potential for colour becoming more emphatic. If they were to occur
suggest the forward projection of the main field variety and dense substance of Still's best elsewhere than at the edges of course, serious
of the painting, and then subsequently to draw paintings seem to cast farther into the future trouble would result. For this edge activity to
across this illuminating ground, like clouds than the delicate openness which so plainly happen, a number of bands are necessary. A
across the sky, semi-opaque rich colour, which marks the best painting of today. This single colour break would not sufficiently blur
received its illumination from behind. This openness is "space between". Perhaps it is the relative location of picture plane and central
produced the mirage-like, vertiginous, unnatural to painting. One way or another it band, nor induce the delicate spatial shifts,
disorienting sensations, further emphasized by requires part of the space given up to paint not planar tensions and liftings which tease the
the above/below ambiguity of the imagery, to receive paint, or creates a visual illusion in surface into subtle illusion. Noland's surfaces
which at some level were the purpose behind the order to fill the canvas, and this kind of painting may be 'all colour', but they are not 'just colour'.
technique. Here a pictorial intent is virtually does not give itself fully to surface, which is the They achieve a number of things spatially also,
coincidental with a spatial experience, and with first property of the art.'6 and in ways which suggest with the utmost
the means of realizing it, and attains the equation Very good, but there is no single first economy of means, some features of the
of all great painting, that is to say, expressive property of the art, but a multiple of Nymphéas; this is a hunch, I do not want to
intent =spatial intent =pictorial form. This is interdependent properties as Hofman relates. make too much of it in the absence of the
what Matisse meant by putting method or There is clearly a conflict between the space- paintings themselves; the sudden pulling back
conception at the head of his list of priorities, making properties of colour, ie illusionism of the central field, with an exquisite bitter-
and drawing, colour, and value as followers. (which is not a 'device' but a natural fact) and sweet swiftness by the spatial effect of the
Value adjustment is of such importance in the maintenance of surface unity. Still, in his narrow coloured bands, or the shimmering
Matisse's paintings because it stabilizes and best work, managed to achieve the latter, but at float-away prising free of the central band from
tempers the dynamic spatial shifts induced by what price ? Even with close-valued harmonious the confines of the rectangle, like the slow
his method of relating colour areas by opposition colour, he nevertheless manages to isolate parts breaking of a wave at its crest. Noland returned
of hues, remembering that the species of of the painting from one another, like jigsaw to this mode, with a more 'painterly' feel in
illusionism attributed to Hofmann, who puzzle patches, from the very doggedness with 1971-72, after the first 'plaid' paintings.
developed by way of Cubism, was not open which he sticks to the opaque layering of paint Again the conflict between the space-making
to Matisse. Matisse is above all a colour-and- into solid slabs, though variegated within propensities of colour, and the maintenance
value painter. But exclusively to place colours themselves. of surface unity is at issue. Perhaps indeed it is
in abrupt juxtaposition leads to a brittle and The Monets, on the other hand, by means of the conflict from which invention in painting
monotonous flattening effect. Plasticity, or their broken brushwork, enable large areas of now springs. Surface unity per se has become
spatial fluency, demands breathing between and colour to cross one another in semi-translucent almost a mannerism. The propensity of colours
around colours. Colour painting is the art of fan-like planes, to interpenetrate, lose and find in relation to recede and advance cannot be
transition. themselves in a highly fluid way. Even diffuse, denied. Why subdue it ? In the interests of
The essential feature of colour is its pliability irradiating colour moves towards a planar surface unity ? Fear of the disruption of surface
to relationship, the reciprocal effect of adjacent result. The impressionists knew this, at first unity is at bottom fear of the imminence of
or surrounding colours on one another, as every methodically, later instinctively. Not only naturalistic space, but Hofmann has shown that
empirical study has stressed. It often happens Cubism was aware of planarity, which cannot for abstract art depth is relative to the plane of
that the reverberation between colours seems to be escaped by diffuse handling. Still would have the picture, which can be sensed, felt as a datum.
call out for, hint at the addition of others (an benefited by more of Monet's technique. If it can be declared to eyesight that no part of
aesthetic effect of phenomena of simultaneous If we consider Noland's development since the picture recedes beyond the canvas surface,
contrast). One secret of colour painting is to he moved on from the chevron paintings to the the rest is free to advance and recede in relation
allow this sense of sublimal presence to heighten first broad-band horizontal paintings of 1966-67, at will. Despite a considerable difference in
it, while withholding use of the suggested hues. we find a working out of some of the problems `look' and in elements of shape and drawing,
Bannard again, this time on Still : 'Bright so far raised : the reduced plasticity which his Noland's painting since the first horizontal
colour juxtaposition can work when it is used technique always endangers and which the equal broad band formats seems to have increasingly
to identify planes, and it can become expressive emphasis of band width, bright-colour- grasped this sense of space in illusion. Having
through careful adjustment, openness, or different value juxtaposition had led him to, prised free the broad central band, Noland was
extreme variation of "piece" size, as can be at a time when an expanding sensitivity to the further able to float or sink at will further bands

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