MTU Library Catalogue

Syndetics cover image
Image from Syndetics

Roger Hilton : the figured language of thought / Andrew Lambirth.

By: Lambirth, Andrew, 1959-.
Contributor(s): Hilton, Roger, 1911-1975.
Material type: materialTypeLabelBookPublisher: London : Thames & Hudson, 2007Description: 288 p. : ill. (chiefly col.), ports. ; 28 cm. + hbk.ISBN: 9780500093344 ; 0500093342 .Subject(s): Hilton, Roger, 1911-1975 -- Catalogs | Painting -- England -- Biography | Artists -- England -- BiographyDDC classification: 759.2 HIL
Holdings
Item type Current library Call number Copy number Status Barcode
General lending MTU Crawford College of Art and Design Library Lending 759.2 HIL (Browse shelf(Opens below)) 1 Available 00055885
Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Roger Hilton (1911-75) was one of the pioneers of British abstract art. This account of his life is lavishly illustrated with works from all stages of his career, in a visually stunning record of his oeuvre. It is further enlivened by numerous anecdotes and reminiscences recalling his sometimes outspoken relations with other artists such as Peter Lanyon, Terry Frost and Patrick Heron, and includes personal memories of his widow, Rose.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 284-286) and index.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

  • Acknowledgments (p. 6)
  • Introduction (p. 7)
  • Part 1 London (1911-55) (p. 17)
  • 1 The Family Context (1911-29) (p. 19)
  • 2 A Student in London and Paris (1929-39) (p. 27)
  • 3 The War Years (1940-45) (p. 49)
  • 4 Sowing the Seeds (1945-55) (p. 55)
  • Part 2 Cornwall (1956-75) (p. 105)
  • 5 'The Appalling Unrest of the Soul' (1956-60) (p. 111)
  • 6 Tasteful or Turbulent? First Waddington show and John Moores Exhibition (1960-65) (p. 139)
  • 7 Fruits of Success (1965-72) (p. 203)
  • 8 Final Flowering: to the Close (1972-75) (p. 231)
  • Conclusion: 'A Careful Disorderliness' (p. 275)
  • List of exhibitions (p. 285)
  • Select Bibliography (p. 286)
  • Sources of illustrations (p. 287)
  • Index (p. 287)

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

Roger Hilton is today considered one of Britain's pioneer abstract artists, though he was thought a controversial figure in the art world in his day. In Part 1, Lambirth (art critic, the Spectator; Maggi Hambling: The Works) traces Hilton's life in London from 1911 to 1955: his early family life, his student years in Paris, and his time in military service. In Part 2, he discusses Hilton's life and work in Cornwall through his death in 1975. Early on, Hilton developed a defined style, which by the 1950s had become what he called "semi-figurative expressionism." By the 1960s, his work was more widely known, and he was recognized as a major artistic figure. Lambirth examines Hilton's odd personal life and his growing dependence on alcohol. The volume is rich in illustrations (230, most in color) of Hilton's quality work from all stages of his career that clearly demonstrate the evolution of his style. Though carefully researched and easy to read, the work would have benefited from citations indicating the sources of Lambirth's quotations and other information; also, the index is much too short to be of any real use. Nevertheless, this is an important study of a leading British artist that belongs in every art library.-Martin Chasin, Adult Inst., Bridgeport, CT (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Andrew Lambirth is the art critic for The Spectator and the author of many books, including Ken Kiff .