Tiger Walk 3.4.81 1981

John Hoyland made 'Tiger Walk 3.4.81' in 1981, and from what I can see it’s made with paint, but I don’t know on what surface. It’s all about squares, or diamonds maybe, but not really… more like suggestions of these shapes. There's a definite emphasis on the material presence of the paint. The brushstrokes are thick, loaded with pigment, and confidently laid down. Hoyland doesn’t seem too concerned with blending or smoothing things out, which is the sort of painting I like. You get a real sense of the hand in the work, that it’s been made. The texture is tactile, almost sculptural, inviting you to run your fingers across the surface, which I wouldn't do of course. The colours are bold, with an emphasis on bright pinks, reds and purples, with these juxtaposed against blues and greens. It makes me think a bit of Helen Frankenthaler, another painter with an amazing sense of colour. But Hoyland is doing something else here, something more assertive and direct. Painting is always a conversation across generations, an ongoing exchange of ideas. It’s not about having the final word, but about keeping the dialogue alive.