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Lot Essay
‘Painting is feeling. Just as much as a sentence describes, so a sequence of colours describes … I feel the shape and colours inside myself. I have the feel of a work rather than a vision of it’
- Roger Hilton
Untitled, 1965 is a painting about paint: its abstraction aids the form, space and movement created by Hilton’s expressive technique. The picture is dominated by his bold use of black and orange, which is complimented by punctuations of vivid red and blue, set against a stark white background. Although constructed primarily of abstract shapes, Hilton succeeds in imbuing a sense of the organic and natural. There is a wonderful sense of immediacy and lyricism expressed through his use of bold brushstrokes and swathes of rich colour. Although Hilton worked quickly, he worked in short bursts, tempered with long periods of contemplation. His meditative process was supported by his practise of preparatory drawing, which he was known to do over breakfast before heading to his studio.
The 1960s saw Hilton achieve international recognition. Having been taken on by Leslie Waddington in 1959, he won first prize at the John Moores exhibition in 1963. The following year, he won the UNESCO Prize at the Venice Biennale, cementing his place as one of Britain’s most accomplished and respected abstract painters.
- Roger Hilton
Untitled, 1965 is a painting about paint: its abstraction aids the form, space and movement created by Hilton’s expressive technique. The picture is dominated by his bold use of black and orange, which is complimented by punctuations of vivid red and blue, set against a stark white background. Although constructed primarily of abstract shapes, Hilton succeeds in imbuing a sense of the organic and natural. There is a wonderful sense of immediacy and lyricism expressed through his use of bold brushstrokes and swathes of rich colour. Although Hilton worked quickly, he worked in short bursts, tempered with long periods of contemplation. His meditative process was supported by his practise of preparatory drawing, which he was known to do over breakfast before heading to his studio.
The 1960s saw Hilton achieve international recognition. Having been taken on by Leslie Waddington in 1959, he won first prize at the John Moores exhibition in 1963. The following year, he won the UNESCO Prize at the Venice Biennale, cementing his place as one of Britain’s most accomplished and respected abstract painters.