March 1960 1960

Editor: This is Roger Hilton’s "March 1960," a sizable oil on canvas work. I’m struck by its layered composition and somewhat muted palette. How do you interpret the symbolism within this abstract piece? Curator: The symbols here are less direct, more felt. Consider the dominance of grey, a color often linked to neutrality, but also to introspection and mourning. The overlaid lines feel like pentimento, suggesting layers of memory and revision. What do you make of the shapes? Do they feel representational or purely abstract to you? Editor: I see both. The dark shape on the left feels like a shadow, while the circle could be a sun or a moon. Curator: Precisely. The tension between the recognizable and the abstract is key. Hilton’s work often explores the boundary between internal and external realities, tapping into our shared visual vocabulary while resisting fixed interpretations. It evokes rather than dictates meaning. Editor: It's fascinating how a seemingly simple composition can hold so much symbolic weight. Curator: Indeed. It shows us how abstraction can be a powerful language for exploring the complexities of human experience and cultural memory.