Girl on a Sofa 1968

This is Howard Hodgkin's "Girl on a Sofa," though the identity of the girl has been abstracted here. The painting employs bold colors and shapes to convey a sense of the figure lounging. But consider the composition. The upper field of intense red, an age-old symbol of passion, could represent the inner emotional state of the girl. The blue and white striped section below hints at the structured, perhaps constrained, world from which she seeks respite. Note the amorphous pink shape suggesting the girl's form, with the dark brushstroke like a veil of hair, concealing and revealing. The circular form, bisected by contrasting colors, brings to mind ancient solar symbols, suggesting both enlightenment and mystery. Perhaps the girl is undergoing a transformation, seeking self-discovery within the domestic space. This is the kind of memory work that remains dormant, only to resurface in new guises, reminding us of the cyclical nature of human experience.