WILLIAM HAWKINS (1895 - 1990)

LIKE MCCARTHY (BELOW), HAWKINS PAINTINGS ARE BRIGHT AND BOLD WITH AN AMAZING USE OF COLOUR AND SENSE OF SCALE AND SPACE. IT IS THE LATTER THAT INTERESTS ME MOST ABOUT HAWKINS WORK - AS HE IS NOT ALLOWED TO LET THEIR BE SPACE AROUND HIS WORK. HE WAS OF MIXED HERITAGE, BEING BOTH WHITE, BLACK AND AMERICAN INDIAN AND SAID THAT ALL OF THESE INFLUENCES HAD AN EFFECT ON THE WAY HE PAINTED AND THE SUBJECT MATTER. I LOVE THESE PAINTINGS AS MUCH AS MCCARTHY'S BECAUSE THERE IS A REAL SENSE OF FREEDOM ABOUT HOW THE ARTISTS PAINT AND USE THE CANVAS IN NEW WAYS. THE USE OF BORDERS AND WRITING ON THE WORK IS A TECHNIQUE USED BY MANY OUTSIDER ARTISTS AND REALLY WORK IN THIS CONTEXT...