This work belongs to the most abstract phase of Hilton’s oeuvre, which was between 1953-5. The works Hilton produced during this period display the influence of the Dutch artists Constant and Piet Mondrian, and are characterised by a simplified structure composed from a small number of forms, which emphasise the flatness of the surface. ‘June 1953’ exhibits for the first time Hilton’s use of white as a positive element in the composition - it is not simply a negative space, but a shape in itself. Alongside a shift in style, the year 1953 also saw Hilton begin to title his paintings by the date they were made. In doing this the artist overtly invites the viewer to analyse his work in terms of a linear development, and to emphasise that they are not ‘of’ anything but themselves.