$40,000
Estimate: $60,000 - $100,000
Auction: October 29, 2019 12:00:00 PM EDT
Signed and titled/dated on the canvas overhang verso, acrylic on canvas.
95 1/2 x 48 in. (242.6 x 121.9cm)
Provenance: André Emmerich Gallery, Inc., New York, New York.
Private Collection, Warren, Vermont (acquired directly from the above in 1970).
note:
The Hoyland Estate is currently preparing the forthcoming catalogue raisonne of the Artist's paintings on canvas and would like to hear from the owners of works by the Artist, so that these can be included in the catalogue. Please write to catrais@johnhoyland.com.
When British artist John Hoyland first traveled to New York in 1964 at the age of 30, he was searching for a new way of painting that would allow him greater emotional engagement and intensity in his work. His process to that point felt more controlled and calculated than he wished, and was in opposition to the complexities of a more personal and authentic expression. Thanks to a collegial connection to Helen Frankenthaler, Hoyland met Robert Motherwell, Mark Rothko, Kenneth Noland and Clement Greenberg in New York, who also introduced him to the work of Hans Hofmann. Experiencing these artists' work and visiting their studios opened Hoyland's eyes and provided a crucial juncture in his career.
Hoyland maintained a preference for the term "non-figurative imagery" over "abstraction" when describing his work, relating to the expressive quality and depth of feeling he wanted the viewer to experience in his paintings. 25.9.70 is an excellent example of the artist's work and philosophy. The thickly applied stripes of color and pooling paint in the lower half of the canvas hold strong on a muted and textured background. The impressive scale of the work serves to awe the viewer, while the red horizontal bar near the center has a grounding effect and pulls the eye in. Taken all together, 25.9.70 allows for a window into the artist's process, as well as an understanding of Hoyland's hope that: "paintings are a seduction, one develops a relationship with these inanimate objects which becomes a bond like a living person, a mirror, a realm of elusive power…There is no place for cynicism, only joy, passion and wonderment, clarity and eagerness… Paintings are a kind of dream language, and like music they propose a new reality."(1)
1: The Artist as quoted in: "Invisible Artist or Performing Bear," Tate Gallery lecture, 1994, (delivered again in Mauritius in 2005),