A large-scale assemblage work by Jonathan Hayter, titled The Walk, in which painting and constructed relief are allowed to jostle for position.
The underlying painted surface is loose and atmospheric: passages of chalky pink, turquoise, deep green, blue and flashes of red are variously brushed, scratched, scored and allowed to run. Over this Hatter has fixed an arrangement of painted timber elements — lengths, frames and fragments that project physically from the picture plane. Some appear architectural, others almost like pieces of dismantled furniture or studio debris. A large white paint pot lid sits among them with the strange authority of a moon, plate, window or target.
There is something pleasingly unresolved about the whole thing. The title, The Walk, suggests movement, and the composition does seem to ask the eye to travel: along the long red vertical, around the circular form, through the overlapping frames and into the dense green passages beneath. Nothing quite settles into representation, but there are tantalising suggestions of doors, windows, paths and structures — the visual fragments of somewhere half remembered.
The construction places the work firmly in the territory between painting, collage and sculpture. There are echoes of post-war British assemblage in the use of humble timber and found-looking forms, but also something of an artist's studio wall about it: pieces accumulated, shifted around, painted over and eventually finding their place. The visible fixings, worn edges, incised marks and thick passages of paint are not disguised; they are part of the language of the piece.
The work is housed within a deep, box-like frame, giving the projecting elements room to exist as objects rather than simply additions to a painted surface. At 131 cm high, it has considerable presence — less a picture hung on a wall than a small piece of architecture attached to it.
Signed and dated JH '16 to the lower right.
Details
Artist: Jonathan Hayter
Title: The Walk
Date: 2016
Medium: Mixed media, paint and constructed timber assemblage
Presentation: Mounted within a deep box frame
Signature: Signed and dated JH '16 lower right
Condition
Good condition overall, with surface texture, exposed fixings, scratches, paint runs and irregularities inherent to the construction and the artist's working process. There is some minor wear and marking to the outer frame. Please refer to the photographs for detail.
Dimensions
Overall: Height 131 cm × Width 68 cm
Delivery
This is a substantial artwork and requires careful courier delivery. Delivery is charged at cost, with a tailored quote provided after ordering. Please get in touch beforehand if you would like an estimate.
