Painter, born in Northwood, Middlesex, who studied at the Slade, 1929-31 and again 1935-36, also under Bissière at the Acad mie Ranson, Paris. In 1936 he held his first solo exhibition at the Bloomsbury Gallery, London. About this time he also showed with the little-known Twenties Group at the Lucy Wertheim Gallery. Joining the army in 1940, he served in the Commandos, and became a prisoner of war after the Dieppe Raid in August 1942. He experimented with ways of depicting forms in space, first displaying them in a illusory space, then as if on thee surface alone, then as if floating in water. He won the 1963 John Moores Painting Prize and was appointed CBE in 1968. He turned to abstract art around 1950, influenced by Tachisme and encouraged by friendship with members of the Cobra Group in particular the Dutch artist Constant Niewenhuis. Hilton travelled to Paris and Amsterdam to study the work of Mondrian and began producing very austere abstracts, using only black, white, and small sectors of earth colours. During the mid-1950’s he taught at the Central School of Art, 1954-56, during which time he began making visits to Cornwall, staying first with Patrick Heron, who London house was just round the corner, then renting a studio for summer use at Newlyn.
He won first prize at the John Moores Liverpool Exhibition in 1963 and represented Britain at the Venice Biennale in 1964 when he was awarded the UNESCO prize. Hilton was appointed CBE in 1968. He exhibited at Gimpel Fils, London, between 1952 and 1956 and at Waddington Galleries, London, from 1960. A Centenary exhibition was held at Newlyn Art Gallery, in 2011.
He was the husband of the musician Ruth David and secondly the artist Rose Hilton and the father of artist and printmaker Matthew Hilton.
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Painter, born in Northwood, Middlesex, who studied at the Slade, 1929-31 and again 1935-36, also under Bissière at the Acad mie Ranson, Paris. In 1936 he held his first solo exhibition at the Bloomsbury Gallery, London. About this time he also showed with the little-known Twenties Group at the Lucy Wertheim Gallery. Joining the army in 1940, he served in the Commandos, and became a prisoner of war after the Dieppe Raid in August 1942. He experimented with ways of depicting forms in space, first displaying them in a illusory space, then as if on thee surface alone, then as if floating in water. He won the 1963 John Moores Painting Prize and was appointed CBE in 1968. He turned to abstract art around 1950, influenced by Tachisme and encouraged by friendship with members of the Cobra Group in particular the Dutch artist Constant Niewenhuis. Hilton travelled to Paris and Amsterdam to study the work of Mondrian and began producing very austere abstracts, using only black, white, and small sectors of earth colours. During the mid-1950’s he taught at the Central School of Art, 1954-56, during which time he began making visits to Cornwall, staying first with Patrick Heron, who London house was just round the corner, then renting a studio for summer use at Newlyn.
He won first prize at the John Moores Liverpool Exhibition in 1963 and represented Britain at the Venice Biennale in 1964 when he was awarded the UNESCO prize. Hilton was appointed CBE in 1968. He exhibited at Gimpel Fils, London, between 1952 and 1956 and at Waddington Galleries, London, from 1960. A Centenary exhibition was held at Newlyn Art Gallery, in 2011.
He was the husband of the musician Ruth David and secondly the artist Rose Hilton and the father of artist and printmaker Matthew Hilton.
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