A Life in Painting: Marilyn Hallam and Clyde Hopkins with Mali Morris
Turps Painting Magazine
I would always recommend Turps Painting Magazine, but issue 24, just published, is of particular significance. Within, Mali Morris interviews Marilyn Hallam about her life with Clyde Hopkins. This atmospheric piece is both redolent of the recent past and yet also offers an insight into a world which is superbly contemporary - reminding us of painterly concerns that are continuously relevant. It is wonderful to see their work recognised and discussed.
Marilyn Hallam, Not Finding a Pose, 1992, Oil on canvas, 152 x 114cm
Marilyn Hallam, Photo II, 1994, Oil on canvas, 107 x 91cm
“We both shared a sense of never quite knowing what was coming next or how it should be resolved. That sense of surprise probably sustained us both in our different ways throughout our life together. We both loved what painting could offer afresh each time and yet it was perpetually energising.” Marilyn Hallam
Clyde Hopkins, Geoffrey’s Red Dance, 1986-7, Oil on plywood, 43 x 45cm
“In those days, Clyde worked on the canvas with a kind of epic energy, sometimes with poured past as much as with the brush. There was a trace of impulse, but in service to composition. Perhaps both your work and Clyde’s, for all their differences, had what I call ‘density’: a construction that came about through layering, which would need to end in clarity of some kind, but which did not shy away from the complexities and struggles that arrived en route.'“ Mali Morris
Clyde Hopkins, Sennelier Cad Lemon Yellow, 2007, Oil on linen, 61 x 51cm
In August Marilyn Hallam will also be showing work in a group show of contemporary painting curated by Howard Rogers at the Copeland Gallery. Further details to follow.
