Michael Eaton Paintings

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31501, 16 October 1967, Page 14

Michael Eaton Paintings

The results of a dynamic approach to painting can be seen at the Little Woodware Gallery. The artist is Michael Eaton (shown below). Although such a term as dynamic with its implications of life (in contrast to the static or merely sluggish) Is, I believe, appropriately chosen, others may doubt its link with these works. For one thing it is usual to equate “liveliness” with a more expressionistic order of painting—the muscular manipulation of pigment, the instinctive flourish of the brush, neither of which is a feature of these pieces. In the present case the paint has been applied with such disciplined precision that this aspect of the work could easily be regarded as

the very opposite of vigorous. Mr Eaton’s examination of the potential of the shaped canvas provides the sense of the dynamic in these paintings. What happens on the surface of each work is naturally still important because of its essential connection with the plastic shape but there is now a strong emphasis on edge or contour. Such works no longer appear as regular masses, placidly occupying a limited amount of wall space because, having broken out of the rectangular mould, they assume the right to act as they see fit and so project themselves in many directions, both real and imaginary. The more successful works are No. 11, with its delicate sense of atmosphere, drawing the eye inwards as well as across the surface, and No. 18 in which, I believe, the stated aim of "encouraging visual ambiguity” is most effectively realised.

In many of his paintings, however, the artist seems not to have probed the deeper implications of his present style. He needs more time to produce work which will convincingly fulfil its own objectives. The box-like paintings, in spite of their contagious exuberance, function mostly on a fairly obvious level, failing to sustain one’s interest for long. The power of an image seems to rest in a degree of obscurity; these works lose their grip because they are too easily rationalised. The scope of this review makes it necessary to oversimplify the work of a serious artist who has nevertheless provided us with a very stimulating exhibition. Mr Eaton deserves credit also for being so active a practitioner in a local cultural climate which requires the artist to be something of a hero to work at all. —D P.