I am a representational painter, but not a painter of appearances. I paint representational pictures of emotional situations.
—Howard Hodgkin
Gagosian is pleased to present an exhibition of recent paintings by Howard Hodgkin. This will be Hodgkin’s first solo exhibition in Paris, following recent critically acclaimed exhibitions at Gagosian Rome (2013) and Gagosian New York (2011).
Exploring the very nature of painting as both cultivated language and sheer expression, Hodgkin disregards the classical polarities of past and present, abstraction and representation, surface and frame. Assertive, compressed gestures, a lush palette, and the dynamic interchange of light and dark are all traits of his distinctive style. Hodgkin incorporates the frame as part of the painted surface, conveying unadulterated and deliberate expressions that maintain a strong sense of objecthood. With their maximalist brushstrokes and saturated colors, intimately scaled paintings appear jewel-like, while larger works are opulent and theatrical.
Embracing spontaneity and directness in equal measure to processes of reflection and capitulation, Hodgkin may take a year to prepare to execute his first brushstroke; the seemingly informal, urgent quality of his paintings belies the fact that most have been painted, reconsidered, and repainted. The works convey the relationship between hand, eye, and memory that drives their process, visual structure, and emotional temperature.
