Page 88 - Studio International - May June 1975

as Goodnough's groups or arrangement find enough space
clusters of sharp angular forms for themselves to energize the
laid across (or, more frequently, surface, in the freely floating
pulled to the side of) softly illusions that they create.
painted open fields; and like Possibly the most successful
Newman, Goodnough works best painting was Pink-Grey-Purple,
when his imagery is muted in its where the planes were banked in
effect, when it is kept, in fact, the top left corner, and stepped
from declaring itself exclusively out across the top of the painting,
as imagery, when it is not the but overlayed by drips running
whole subject of his paintings. down the full height of the
One of his recent works shown in canvas. There was something of
March at the Waddington Poons in this work, except that
Galleries, Blue Runs, was also the effect was far more a close
somewhat reminiscent of Monet; valued and impressionist one.
for Goodnough has taken to Here, however, Goodnough
breaking up his fields by subordinates his imagery to an
allowing drips and runs of paint effect of all-overness. In this
to form more saturated striations sense, it is an anomalous work.
down the paintings. Here, the More typical of his balancing of
runs of paint cause the imagery to imagery and all-overness is
seem to float among them. But Vari colour on blue green grey,
unlike Monet (and unlike where two elongated clusters of
Newman) Goodnough's art planes — frontal in their planarity
creates an impressionist but slightly recessive in their
openness of effect together with an arrangement — seem suspended in
imagist one. The small clustered flight across the softly brushed
planes are each flat and frontal — field of the canvas. This is a
are each sculptural in their stunningly beautiful work, and
drawing — and together hint at a shows the real authority of
kind of spatial recession by virtue Goodnough's established style.
of their arrangements. I say that The final painting in the
they only hint at this: When the exhibition, Grey-Colour-Grey,
clusters become large, and reveals its authority more slowly.
Craigie Aitchison Still Life No.1, 1973. Oil on canvas 30x 25 in.
separated from the edges of the The grey planes on a grey ground
painting, they do more. are underpainted with intense
these small figures of Christ are grave and almost monumental
unbroken by any marks. Yet they image. Grey-Green-Pink suffers by primary colours. At first sight, the
ragged fringes of bright colour
permitting perhaps too evident a
do not have the effect of Small still lifes and perspectival reading across its around the edges of the planes are
silhouettes, for they are three- landscapes made up about half large cluster of planes; and unsettling, and seem unduly
dimensionally conceived, and the works on show. Aitchison has because of this, one is encouraged obtrusive. But finally, they add to
we feel how the brush made the always been able to conjure these to look back and up this the optical dissolution of the
form, with the slightest possible pictures out of audaciously little horizontal painting instead of planes themselves: the flickers of
gradations, working outwards subject matter; butterflies, across it. Its imagery seems nearly colour dematerialize them, and
from the central axis of telegraph poles, crosses, slim, isolated. Colours on pale grey do so despite their slight bas-relief.
movement, and the dark element almost branchless, trees, small shows an opposite problem. The
in which the figures hang comes roses and single flowers are the As with Pink-Grey-Purple, this
up to them, meets them and elements, sometimes decorative, imagery certainly permits no painting shows how Goodnough
perspectival reading, but is
surrounds them without any which he organizes with great continues to innovate in a quiet
contour being drawn.' precision against intangible somehow eccentric — almost and unassuming way, building
Aitchison's most popular and backgrounds and simplified heraldic — and the painting, new strength into his art by
easily accessible subjects have landscapes. These pictures on therefore, seems merely to asserting its sheer opticality.
always been his portraits and still their own would have been contain or present it. One faces There are few paintings being
lifes. The hanging of four large sufficient to establish a minor not the painting but the image made now that make so light of
pictures (including the reputation for him. More itself. Goodnough can also allow their procedures, that so demand
Crucifixion and Dog in Red substantial are the portraits and this to happen by making too — and so assert — their distance
Painting) in the best room at the the larger, more abstract pictures, sharp a tonal contrast between from the viewer (and which lose,
Rutland suggests that he is which demolish the theory that he image and ground (as he does in a therefore, so much in
reproduction). So much comes
currently more concerned with is a naive painter — naive painters small square painting in this down to Goodnough's balancing
exhibition). By and large,
these than with his smaller and are usually repetitious and static.
more immediately charming work. Aitchison is actually one of the however, he manages, with of the physical and the illusory.
I was reminded in this respect of
remarkable tact, to present forms
However, the seven portraits in most perceptive and well-informed
that are at once images but
Louis's Unfurleds: of groupings
the exhibition, painted in the last of contemporary painters and has service the painting as a whole, of distinct and individual
fours years, demonstrate his a unique ability to intuitively and shapes that are individually elements against open grounds,
abilities — they are particularly select that which is useful to him. flat and frontal but in their elements which form groups
impressive as portraiture has Martin Wyld
become perhaps the most abused
and trivialized branch of
figurative art. Two portraits of
Gorgeous Macaulay, painted in Robert, Goodnough
1972, make considerable use of Waddington, 4-27 March
tight modelling and of the physical
space around the sitter. Girl John Walker
Against Pink Background,
finished this year, was noticeable Nigel Greenwood, 26 February-
for its refinement of composition 5 April
and texture and its more sparing Frank Bowling
and direct use of paint — one of
Aitchison's faults has been to William Darby, 6-26 March
repaint parts of his pictures so
many times that the paint becomes The originality of Robert
turgid and uncertain. The most Goodnough's paintings is often
striking aspect of the best of the overlooked. His use of flat
recent portraits was their lack of contoured shapes, which read
the instant and seductive charm therefore as images, but which are
which had led to his painting being also somehow fugitive in effect is
criticized for a contrived and something rare and unusual in
whimsical preciousness. Girl modern painting. Newman's Robert Goodnough Blue on Blue-Grey 1973.
Against Pink Background is a `zips' had a similar dual function Acrylic and oil on canvas. 30 x 38 in.
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