Aeolus by Gillian Ayres

When I first saw this painting at the Walker Art Gallery, I was instantly drawn to the huge scale, energy of the work and the brilliantly bright colours.This painting ‘Aeolus’ by Gillian Ayres was painted in 1987. Her painting were known for their often their grand scale, expressive use of paint and her profusion of colour. Her technique of dragging one thick colour over another, wet on wet, produces a very abstract effect. Here, amidst the density, colours, and apparent chaos of her brushstrokes, there are hints of recognizable imagery; trees and flowers, hedges and fences, a wheel and a bridge, as if a garden or farm provided the inspiration for this painting. Ayres usually gives her works poetic or literary titles. In Greek Mythology Aeolus is the ruler of the winds. An influential teacher at St Martin’s and Winchester Schools of Art, Ayres remains a leading British abstract painting. I have just found out that there is another Gillian Ayres painting just down the road. I'm off.