Sir Howard Hodgkin

Gagosian Gallery, London
Peder Lund Gallery, Oslo

Oslo, Peder Lund Gallery, Howard Hodgkin - New Paintings, 2011

Colour:The colours in the catalogue illustration are fairly accurate, although the overall tonality is slightly warmer in the original. Condition:This work is in very good condition. Upon close inspection, there is a very short crack to the thick impasto paint towards the lower left corner on the lower extreme edge, which fluoresces under ultra-violet light due to previous stabilising. There is a further minute retouching to one of the raised tips of this impasto element.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

In this work, Sir Howard Hodgkin, a former Turner Prize winner, and representative of Britain at the Venice Biennale, depicts an atmospheric and evocative rendition of his memories of the sea. Painted in his uniquely attributable pictorial language of bold brushstrokes and preferred medium of wooden board, the image focuses on conjuring emotions and sensations, as opposed to providing a record of time. The aesthetic is largely created from self-assured, passionate brush strokes, pulling unmixed paint across the canvas. The result is a dynamic image consisting of thick, luminous bands of paint and eclipses of vibrant colour. These loose, almost abstract forms transform into a coherent and romantic subject when paired with the title; Deep Blue Sea.

Painted over a period of two years, this work is a quintessential example of Hodgkin's tension between anxious deliberation and spontaneity. Despite the speed in which the paint may be applied, each move is carefully deliberated.  The application of a single, seemingly impulsive gesture, may be considered for months before it is executed, carefully obliterating any work beneath it.

These impasto strokes spill across the conventional boundaries of the picture plane and onto the frame, making it comparable to 'the edges of volcanoes, dangerous perimeters overrun with lava.' (Antony d'Offay in Antony d'Offay, ed.,,  Howard Hodgkin, Andover 1993, p.5.) The overflowing image is exuberant and dynamic, unable to be contained, much like the ocean itself. Painting the frame is a technique which Hodgkin has been exercising since the 1980s, in order to fortify his works. Becoming infused within the artwork, the function of the frame is rendered ambiguous. The technique also furthers Hodgkin's refusal of the accepted rules of perspective in painting. Deep Blue Sea denies aerial or linear perspective, and fails to display a clear and identifiable horizon line. Inspired by the two-dimensional painting style of Indian art, and the modernist requirement that a painting should appear flat, Hodgkin denies aspects of depth in this work. However, this endeavour is then challenged and denied, as the painted frame begins to act as a forward ledge; a vehicle used by Old Masters in order to create the illusion of depth on a flat surface. Furthermore the title Deep Blue Sea only serves to further the attention to depth. Hodgkin argues 'you cannot produce a satisfactory illusion of depth without saying here is a flat surface, now we can open doors in it.' (Howard Hodgkin cited in James Meyer, 'Hodgkin's Body', exh. cat., Nicholas Serota, (ed.) Howard Hodgkin, London 2006, p. 49.) 'Howard Hodgkin interviewed by David Sylvester', p.101). This work is a striking and successful display of Hodgkin's concerns with both expression and emotions, and the physical and compositional challenges of creating contemporary art.