Into Seeing New: The Art of Roger Hilton

Roger Hilton began constructing bold designs of irregular shapes in strong colours in the 1950s, influenced by art informel, by his friend the Dutch artist Constant, and by the works of Mondrian. However, his association with the artists in St Ives, consolidated by his frequent visits to the town from the late 1950s, undoubtedly underpinned the landscape associations apparent in his work of the period.

Hilton's use of rich colour and texture, evoking the rhythms of natural phenomena, led to an affinity with the modernists working in St Ives during the period. The colourful and dynamic images of women he created successfully bridged the gap between abstraction and figuration and also between images of the figure and the landscape. His significance to and influence on the colony was reinforced by his move to St Just in 1965. Accompanying an exhibition at Tate St Ives, this finely produced catalogue highlights key aspects of Hilton's artistic development and explains his importance in the history of the St Ives movement.