London-based painter Jack Hilton reinterprets history, literature, and mythology. His dramatic paintings often depict historical events as myths or biblical dramas, exploring subjects from the Tower of Babel to ships reminiscent of the Bayeux Tapestry. Hilton aims to uncover fresh emotional and comedic resonances within these familiar narratives. Formally, his work emphasizes colour and pattern, employing a heraldic, patchwork style of figuration with bold blocks of colour and layered shapes, demonstrating the power of subtraction in his artistic process.

Can you tell us a little bit about you?

I'm a 28 year old painter, living in London. My work always starts with source material. It could be a novel, an old painting or some dark or weird historical event. I have an ongoing series about the Russian satirical novel 'The Master and Margarita', where the devil visits Moscow. Another explores Caravaggio's painting 'Judith and Holofernes.' Narrative is important to me. But then in practice it becomes more about creating something that has the mystery and ambiguity of an abstract expressionist painting whilst retaining these dramatic figurative elements.

How has your process developed over time and are there any new themes that you've been exploring in your work?

I came to painting fairly late, aged 24. I did an English Lit degree, and when COVID hit, I was working as a waiter in a restaurant. It was an aimless and depressing time that turned into obsessive amounts of painting in my room. I come from a family of artists (my grandparents were St Ives painters Rose and Roger Hilton) but I had always considered myself unworthy of it and had a mental block towards really going for it. As a teenager I did Banksy rip-off style street-art and made collages, but by my early twenties it had dried up to doodling in the margins of notebooks. From the beginning, my work drew from literature and history, as these are my genuine obsessions and means of escapism. In some ways these are well-trodden paths for painters so I am always look fresh takes or new subjects. I also adore Natural History and palaeontology, so recently I've been trying to delve into that. But it's more tricky to do an interesting painting about the evolution of fish.

How do you choose the historical or mythological events that you paint? What draws you to these particular stories?

Some of the subjects are old classics. 'Judith and Holofernes' is an a dark Old Testament tale (about a woman who seduces and beheads a general who is about to invade her village.) This was a staple subject for Renaissance painters so I am just revisiting and trying to put a fresh spin on it. Others are more obscure and come from trawling Wikipedia. I rarely have a fixed idea of the subject as I start painting. If I do, it almost always goes wrong and becomes something else. Instead, a subject will come to the foreground towards the end of the process, in a frenzied moment where the painting comes together. I am always searching for new subjects, but I find if they are too fixed in my mind at the early stages, the painting becomes stale and illustrational.

Do you see your work as a reinterpretation of historical or mythological narratives? What do you hope to add to these stories?

I feel first and foremost my work is about colour and form. That is what is crucial for me when I am painting, without it everything will fall apart and just be empty and dead. History and literature is also incredibly important to me. As a teenager and in my early twenties I had really bad depression, and was often bed-bound for days. I used reading novels and history as a means of escapism and hope. So, the subjects are more what I find interesting, and what I feel will channel this feeling of escapism and emotion for people. This then hopefully works in tandem with colour and formal aspects of the painting to create something powerful and emotional.

How do the works of historical artists, such as the Old Masters, influence your own practice? Are there any specific techniques or styles that you admire?

Matisse is a massive influence, for his use of flattened space and pattern, and obviously his incredible use of colour. As I said before, I also am constantly looking at Abstract Expressionist painters. In the studio I often have Sandra Blow and Joan Mitchell books open at the moment.

Is there one piece or project you are especially proud of?

I am really proud of my show 'Night Stray' at The Vanner Gallery in Salisbury. It feels like a a really cohesive body of work that actually speaks for itself. It has a power to it that I don't think I had achieved in previous shows. It has really geared me up to make more work for future shows. It was also very personal for me, as I lived in Salisbury as a kid. So it felt personal and full-circle to come back and show my work there.

Have you seen any exhibitions or artworks recently that sparked new ideas for your own work?

The Tracey Emin show at The White Cube inspired me to paint looser and braver. I also love the work of a painter my age, Dan Romeril who recently showed at The Redfern. He has a great palette and his work is really exciting.

What is your favourite book or film and why?

The Master and Margarita has to be up there for novels, it's so madly visual and feels incredibly fresh for a novel written in 1940s USSR. It is very funny, and the opposite of stale, austere classic. The novel 'Black Swan Green' by David Mitchell (not the Peep Show actor!) also had a big impact on me. It's a very beautiful coming-of-age novel. My pretentious film answer is Leviathan (2014.) My non-pretentious answer has to be School of Rock, that's the perfect film.

Are you working on any projects you are particularly excited about?

Yes, I am now working towards a joint show with Martha Holmes at Morgan's in Falmouth in the summer. Then I am returning for a solo show in September at The Table in Hay-on-Wye, Wales. I am really excited for both.

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