Spotlight

Roger Hilton

Richard Ingleby
Saturday 14 October 2000 00:00 BST
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Whatever the subject of Roger Hilton's often eccentric art, his work was always urgent, honest and often violent. He suffered in his life from the prudery of critics who found the sexual suggestiveness of so much of his work a touch too embarrassing to take seriously and so wrote him off as a messy abstract painter of indecipherable daubs.

Whatever the subject of Roger Hilton's often eccentric art, his work was always urgent, honest and often violent. He suffered in his life from the prudery of critics who found the sexual suggestiveness of so much of his work a touch too embarrassing to take seriously and so wrote him off as a messy abstract painter of indecipherable daubs.

Certainly there was a fragmentary quality to the way that his paintings were made, yet there is nothing unresolved about them. This is the paradox that gives his work its peculiar originality.

Hilton died in 1975 and, since the Hayward Gallery's retrospective of 1993, he has come to be recognised as one of the key figures of the post-war years. He brought a rare internationalism and a very personal kind of humanity to the St Ives scene and a unique blend of sensuality, wit and anger.

This new exhibition is especially strong in its selection of late drawings and gouaches. They are deceptively childlike, treading a tightrope between delightful innocence and an unnerving edginess.

'Roger Hilton', Jonathan Clark Fine Art, 18 Park Walk, London, SW10 (020-7351 3555) to 10 Nov

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in