Sound of Silence 1998

Gillian Ayres made this, “Sound of Silence”, out of a playful approach to colour and form. The surface of the piece feels really alive. Ayres doesn't seem too fussed about hiding the process, you can see the movement in the application of the paint. There is a lovely, thick impasto that suggests a joyful, almost childlike engagement with the paint. Look at the different kinds of marks; soft blended edges, then crisp lines, then layered textures. The purple running into white in the middle of the work is a good example of her fluid handling of the medium. It’s almost like she's not trying to control it too much, letting the paint do its own thing. Ayres reminds me of Howard Hodgkin. They both have this knack for making abstract forms feel deeply emotional and personal. It's the kind of art that leaves plenty of room for our own feelings and interpretations.