Into the Woods: Beyond the Frame

Art that touches the soul is rare and numinous, opening some kind of portal in the mind that transports us to another dimension. Paintings that speak volumes often defy verbal description but, like dreams, these magical visual experiences can stay with us all our lives, tugging persistently at our curiosity, insisting on reflection and reconnection with the initial wonder. The more I gaze at, absorb and analyse a captivating image, the more I see in it and understand about it - the more I realize there is to be seen. The more I wonder about its numinous effect, the more I discover about myself personally, culturally, collectively and spiritually.

Recently, on the basis of a small colour reproduction in the Tate Magazine, I went to the Alan Cristea Gallery in London's Cork Street to see a new collection of work by Howard Hodgkin. ‘Into the Woods’ is a series of four large abstract prints, one for each season. I have always loved Hodgkin's work - he is an exhilarating colourist - but I was not prepared for the impact that hit me when I walked through the door and saw ‘Spring’.

Hot on the heels of amazement, reeling from the impact of the vibrant colour and trying to catch my breath, I began to think: ‘Why - what is it that is so special about this image? Why do I want to bask in front of it endlessly? Did the artist hope or mean to touch me so profoundly? He seems to have captured a moment … is it about spring or a symbolic personal experience? Do we share a moment in time or does this represent something out of time? Is it simply my own meaning which I invest in transference or is there something more collective and archetypal going on here?’

The print is enormous: 2 × 3 metres, a two-part hand-painted lift-ground etching with coarse aquatint and carborundum etching. Swirling with turquoise and vibrant blues, there is a single large arching shape in greens the colour of new beech leaves. Its size is impressive, the colours - typical of Hodgkin - are clear and pure, the