Gadal 10.11.86 1986

John Hoyland made this painting, Gadal 10.11.86, on canvas with acrylics. Look at that big central form—like an enormous shadow or a dark continent. He must have laid it down first, and then the rest came tumbling after. I like to imagine Hoyland in the studio, armed with big brushes and pots of acrylic. See how the paint drips and pools, creating layers of texture. And those circles! One screaming red, another a warm yellow – they pop against the moody background, don't they? You can see him feeling his way through the painting, each gesture informing the next, responding to the push and pull of color and form. Hoyland was part of a generation who took cues from the Abstract Expressionists. There’s something so immediate and intuitive here, like a direct channel to his inner world. It makes me want to grab a brush and join the conversation.