Brown-Beige-Pink 1971

John Hoyland made this print, Brown-Beige-Pink, most likely a screenprint, with very limited means. It's all about the touch of color, how one color sits next to another, and lets things happen in-between. There’s a kind of crusty, sandy texture in the beige ground that almost looks like the edge of a beach. The rectangle of pale, chalky pink feels like a big, soft cloud. This big shape is really about the surface, a kind of gentle, blushing presence. Look at the way Hoyland let the yellow and orange stripes bleed into the pink, a spontaneous gesture that animates the whole thing. Thinking about this kind of color and surface, I can't help but think about Helen Frankenthaler, who also loved to stain the canvas with thin washes of color. But where Frankenthaler feels expansive, Hoyland’s print feels intimate, like a little poem whispering secrets. It’s a reminder that art isn’t always about making a big statement, sometimes it’s about creating a quiet space for contemplation.