High Summer World of Light 2009

Curator: Gillian Ayres' "High Summer World of Light" from 2009, made with acrylic paint, is right in front of us. I’d say it hits you like a joyful blast of confetti when you first look at it. What's your impression? Editor: It certainly shouts! My initial feeling is a kind of chaotic harmony, where vibrant colors and strong lines vie for attention, yet somehow, coalesce. I'm immediately drawn to its almost frenetic energy. Curator: Exactly. Ayres always had that knack for creating organized explosions. Think of it: there's color-field painting meeting the raw energy of graffiti art, almost a visual equivalent to a jazz improvisation, wouldn't you agree? Editor: Yes, it has a improvisational feel. Let’s break it down formally, though. The composition employs a sort of all-over design, denying a central focal point. Shapes—geometric, organic—float freely against flat planes of color, pinks and blues contrasting with earthier greens and browns. Curator: She doesn't seem shy with layering either; those geometric forms popping, sinking, fighting, with each other like old pals with new ideas... There is something primordial but very immediate here; you sense her pleasure in building it up! Editor: It also dances with visual paradoxes, right? The hard-edged geometric shapes clash delightfully with the fluid application of paint. Look at the texture! She makes no attempt to smooth away the marks; the brushstrokes themselves contribute meaning. Curator: Precisely! And although abstract, one sees echoes, don't we, of the natural world -- those could be trees, the sun or stylised flower stems--it feels like an intensely personal interpretation. It makes me want to take a walk barefoot somewhere wonderful, feeling absolutely giddy! Editor: Well, I certainly appreciate how she subverts formal expectations with playful abandon, crafting a vibrant, engaging visual experience. Curator: For me, looking at an Ayres painting, and this one in particular, feels like tuning into someone else's wildly colorful and beautiful internal world, where rigid structure takes a break, which, quite honestly, gives one permission to let your hair down! Editor: It serves as a stimulating case study in the dynamic interplay between form and freedom.