Page 29 - Studio International - May June 1975

JOHN HOYLAND

Barry Martin

Much of John Hoyland's painting has together. The thickly painted-in centre have no control, where we are freed from
not been seen in this country. From 1970 hangs suspended, balanced on the responsibility to ourselves. The
until the present time he has had three devoid bottom in many of the last works. difference between struggle and
shows in London which represents a The friction created between drawing submissiveness is so slight in the face of
small fraction of his total output. Several shape and the means used, causing the such magnitudes that we can slip
more shows in America and Italy plus forceful implanting of paint into both unnoticed back into the almighty
some mixed shows both here and abroad, edge and central areas. Often this central conception and be at peace with our
complete his public representation. The shape is articulated with a flurry of materialness and construction. The later
importance of this simplified breakdown flicked incisions. The striations works are not predictable either, we
is with reference to the stance we adopt breaking the bland blanket coverage whip cannot know nor, therefore, can we own
to the paintings. We see each work as a the surface and often disclose an under the painting completely. They withold
separate performance that either succeeds colour as in 8.9.74. These marks operate secrets and maintain a level of
or fails according to its own merits, or we formally giving a direction for our eyes independence. In so doing they assert
see each piece as being part of a larger to follow. They also knit the surface in power and will allow development with
order that stretches as an organic kind to the character of the surrounding time.
umbrella from the earliest periods to parts, where ridges form from the straits John Hoyland shows an unreserved
the last. Both considerations have their of differing colours being pushed into and commitment to paint as the vehicle
own difficulties. However, to achieve any squeezed alongside one another. Finally, par excellence through which reason and
degree of understanding of the latter we they allow the artist to 'own' the middle gesture can be united. These two aspects
could not depend on just the English section. They show he has passed through appear as far back as in paintings like
representation or the American exposure. the void, their presence a memory of his 14.9.66 or 15.4.65 where an architectonic
For example, how could we understand visit. structuring of the picture plane is
the 1971 show at Waddington's (London) There are formal similarities between accompanied by bleeding colour, one
without knowing something of the 1970 the most recent works and those of the into another, along the edges. Variations
exhibition at Andre Emmerich's gallery, sixties. The recurrent use of an obtuse in proportion between reason and gesture,
or paintings not exhibited at all such as angle along one edge of a rectangle; the has been the subject of paintings
20.9.70. None of these paintings were frequent and regular use of part or all of developed in groups. Each painting has
seen publicly in this country and still the bottom edge as a tension member subtly changed its emphasis and
haven't been. where a shape will rest or move to. These therefore the balance between reason and
The most recent paintings from 1973 connections are, however, fortuitous and gesture and vice-versa. Both have become
onwards display noticeable changes do not divulge the working process which interwoven to such an extent of late that
both in appearance and in the working would be stifled by such design conscious the margin of overlap between the two is
process from the earliest, 'nearest' works demands. Instead it is the changes between without boundaries. It is this that has
around 1964/5, due to the amount of his works which disclose the breakdown been enlarged to become the proper
revision the artist now makes. However, of shape to its construction. A mistake on subject of the painting. It is how the
this change has evolved slowly, each new the part of his many imitators is to painting was structured in time, and not
painting between the earliest and the last separate the reason aspect from the why it was, that is important. (This
showing increasing signs of its gestural one within the works. Others indirectly leads us to note the artist's
development. could be forgiven their misunderstanding Herculean amounts of virtuosity.) The
He emphasizes visually in most of the since the fine balance he achieves is often implication contained within the
later works that he has made the painting, visually occluded in the work by the question of why this type of painting
as in 20.2.75. The heavily impastoed and charisma each throws off. The colour and not another, is quite properly housed
stratified edges are both formally lustre is often sumptuous and seduces the in a general debate on the artist's stance
important as keying points and also in viewer from the analytical approach that within the field of contemporary
revealing the way the hand-sized each painting equally deserves. And for philosophy and not in an analysis of his
deposits of paint have been laid in. The the less discerning viewer they do just working development •
artist wants to own the work by that. These illustrious shining beacons
imprinting his 'hand' upon and into the of paint (remember the Waddington
paint. Ownership is closely linked with show of 1973), have on recent occasions
authorship in this respect. Another shown dichromic properties and revealed
factor of change is in the character of the themselves only in and through time
central shape. Paintings such as 21.11.69. (unlike the quicker rate of disclosure in
or 1.3.7o are crucial in understanding the earlier pieces).
this development. In each of these a Later paintings like 29.8.73 are more
horizontal band of colour braces itself complex than middle period works such
against a more fluid organic background as 7.8.69. Movement is often still around
whilst in the latter works such as the shape but has become multi-
21.2.75 or 19.2.75, the two elements of directional in that we slip and slide into
fluidity and rigidity are combined into and out of the over-lapping surfaces.
the one central shape. In a small work The blanket proportions of these large
such as 9.2.75 the inclined interior shape works conjures a scale verging on
is oscillated so as to have its implied dimensions outside the scope of human
plane as something different from that of conception. They are frighteningly vast
the canvas plane. The quality of thick and hang us in space. They allow us to
paint is used to cement the two back glimpse that eternal void over which we

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