“Blue Figures” 1973 is arguably one of the most significant works from the final period of Hilton’s career. Executed with an amazing level of vitality and vigour, especially considering the artist’s ill health, this work epitomises the exploration of the tension between abstraction and figuration that permeates throughout Hilton’s entire oeuvre. Leaning towards the figurative, “Blue Figures” 1973 is more Abstract Expressionist in character than pure, geometric abstraction. The gestural, vibrant composition is a joyous celebration of the human body and sexuality while at the same time inhabiting a space that is separated from reality.

In what can only be described as a stroke, or multiple strokes of genius, Hilton’s execution strikes a poetic balance between the representative and the non-representative. The result is a work that is fluid in its identity, imperceptibly slipping between two different personalities. It has all the elements of a “typical” Hilton work – the visible under-drawing, winding lines, and the painterly shapes and forms – yet is significantly different from anything the artist had done before. “Blue Figures” 1973 is a painting that is at once old and new, abstract and figurative. It’s a dramatic performance in the final act of what was an amazing career.  

British artist Roger Hilton stands out as one of the most unique voices of Post-War British Art. He is regarded as a pioneer of Abstraction and one of the standout figures of the “middle generation” of the St. Ives group of painters. Yet although he has a strong following, Hilton’s work is still underappreciated, particularly in a global, art historical context.

Hilton began exploring abstraction in the 1950s and by the late 50s his career had begun to take off. The 1960’s marked a period of critical and commercial success for Hilton as his reputation began to grow. His unique style, which explored the tensions between the abstract and the figurative, identified him as one of the most innovative artists of his generation.

Hilton is usually identified as an abstract painter but the figurative was always present in his work, even if it was allusory. Within the abstract shapes and lines of his most radical works, there remains a trace or a suggestion of the presence of a figure or landscape. His work could be described as exploring and challenging the tensions between the abstract and the figural. 

From the beginning of his career, drawing was an important part of Hilton’s practice – so important that he would engage in the practice of drawing at the beginning of this day to get himself warmed up artistically. Throughout his career the “drawn line” remained a key element of Hilton’s signature style, the under-drawing often remaining visible in his paintings.

In the early 70’s Hilton became very ill. Towards the end of 1972 he was confined to bed and would remain bedridden for the majority of the rest of his life. Yet Hilton did not let his serious illness prevent him from doing what he did best. Remarkably, it was during this period that he produced some of his most edgy and innovative work. 

Unable to continue painting in oils due to his illness, Hilton began creating colourful figurative works in gouache, often referred to as his “deathbed paintings”. This late-life shift in style and medium resulted in the creation of a series of dynamic, colourful, child-like works depicting a wide range of subjects including dogs, birds, boats, and the female form.