Sky Ritual 2002

John Hoyland made "Sky Ritual" using paint. The application of color is immediate, almost like a joyful dance. Hoyland is letting it all hang out. There's a real sense of the studio in the paint itself. It feels like the painting was built up in layers, maybe even over days, and maybe even with some collage. Look how the texture is built, a history of gestures and touch. Consider the red verticals on the left. They are so insistent and strong that they almost act like a kind of barrier, a gate into the painting. It reminds me of the way Helen Frankenthaler played with edges, pushing and pulling at our perception. It’s the same kind of openness that I admire in all painting, an invitation to explore how meaning unfolds through form and color. Like life!