John Hoyland (b.1934 Sheffield, UK – d.2011 London, UK) was one of the most inventive and dynamic abstract painters of the post-war period. Over the span of more than a half-century his art and attitudes constantly evolved. A distinctive artistic personality emerged, concerned with colour, painterly drama, with both excess and control, with grandeur and above all, with the communication of feeling. For Hoyland’s entire career he remained dedicated to painting — when discussing his work ethic, he noted ‘I don’t know if it’s a Northern thing, from being born into poverty. But it’s a driven thing.’ He always pushed forwards, from the early works of the 60s and 70s — blocks of colour masterfully and geometrically arranged to later works that are defined as free flowing, intuitive and spontaneous.

Libertine 12.2.2001 is a painting full of life and vitality, greatly influenced by Hoyland’s travels. In the 1990s and early 2000s he spent a lot of time in Bali and Jamaica which had a great effect on him. Hoyland states, ‘Bali confirmed realities – of colour, pattern and movement – already known and illuminated by an interior light.’ The radiance and sheer beauty he experienced there made its way into the paintings. ‘I came back with so many ideas, so many archetypal structures that I could try to hang my thoughts and feelings on.’ For the first time in decades Hoyland made figurative drawings, inspired to by everything he saw travelling. Libertine displays a dynamic figure, located on the left-hand side of the work. The mark making is also reminiscent of graffiti, which he took polaroids and sketches of. The powerful composition is divided into three sections with vertical pours of paint.

Libertine is exemplary of Hoyland’s use of a dark ground, which is formal, structural, and emotive. The layered pool of paint evoke chance and freedom. In the darkness there are defiant and expressive strokes of swirling bright colour and floating orbs, implying hope and optimism. He carefully constructs the illusion of chance. Implementing techniques of throwing, pouring, staining, and flicking paint gives the work visceral energy. For these seemingly spontaneous actions, he developed a range of sophisticated automatic techniques, stating ‘with acrylic you can draw from the mist. The movements are almost balletic. You have to rehearse them.’