Seeing the Bigger Picture exhibition by David Hockney has had some kind of a magical, maybe even spiritual influence over me. I think essentially the scale of his work (meaning both the actual size and the scale as in quantity) can’t help but silence you into a little bit of awe-struck appreciation.
Then there is such passion, committment and technical ability evident that you can’t help be amazed. His energy belies his age (he is 74 years) and whenever I’ve heard Hockney talk or I’ve read his views, he has always struck me as a very down-to-earth man despite his fame and fortune; the kind of man you could chat to over a beer or a pot of tea. He comes across as the sort of man who wouldn’t make you feel small but would challenge you never-the-less to think differently and keep on thinking. Only a man with that kind of attitude could have embarked upon an exhibition like this and achieved it.
We chose to take the audio tour (which I’d highly recommend) and there are a few sound-bites on it of Hockney talking about his work. His primary challenge to himself was to observe and really see, the changing of surrounding landscape scenery through the seasons.
I found it really touching that this amiable man who is such a great artist, would choose to say that nature was beautiful and elevate it to a greater status simply by observing and recording it; beauty in the ordinary. And many of these scenes were just little everyday places in the local Yorkshire area of Bridlington, not famous tourist spots.
And then there was the colour. And this really awed me because I have just never seen so many colours in use, so many colours blended and contrasted on one piece even.
And so many times I saw a certain colour contrasted with another and thought to myself ‘Yes, that is SO right.’ Beautiful splodges, impressionist style layering, pastels and saturated colours all playing together, dabs, streaks, scratching, thin watery paint, tints and tones of every hue.
You can see that Hockney has brought a little of the L.A. sunshine to some works and Yorkshire looks bathed in a golden hue.
Other paintings look reminiscent of Matisse or The Fauves and Van Gogh features distinctly. Hockney is an artist still very open to influences old (past artists) or new (technology.) It’s refreshing that someone of his ability and standing is still open to learning.
He challenges the idea that we see a landscape from a single viewpoint. The Western idea is that you see through a window, whilst the Chinese idea is that you move through and it is the latter that Hockney explores in this exhibition. Some paintings read like a road map of a journey taken, more a record of a memory than an actual representation. And this is another idea that he plays with; painting from memory and painting from observation; repeatedly.
“Everything begins with the sketchbooks” was my favourite quote from the audio tour. His drawings in charcoal and pencil are astounding and his sketchbooks range from the highly detailed to the gestural.
I really could just go on and on and I haven’t even mentioned the jaw-dropping i-pad pictures!
This exhibition was uplifting to me because it connected the human spirit so successfully to nature, showing all the beauty and change that nature is constantly showing us if only we can slow down enough to observe it.
Hockney said
‘ anyone can do this too, you don’t need to come to Yorkshire, anyone can start in their own back garden. And if they did…well that would be thrilling.’
Hockney is encouraging us too, to paint. His body of work is just one way of seeing nature and he is affirming us to persue painting nature ourselves and trying to see and record the beauty in the ordinary which surrounds us.
14 comments
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February 26, 2012 at 10:41 pm
A. Herridge Contemporary Art
Just . . . “cor”!
Booked up until April . . . . hope to be there.
February 27, 2012 at 8:41 am
Ollie Leggett
Fantastically evocative encapsulation of a stunning exhibition. Thanks Claire. O
February 27, 2012 at 9:24 am
Annie
Thank you so much for sharing with those of us who won’t make it to the exhibition Claire. Hockney has to be a good egg, he loves dachshunds and whippets … a man after my own heart!
February 27, 2012 at 11:01 am
Chloe
Wow, I was quite a fan of Hockney’s work from the small amount I’d seen but seeing the images in this post have made me love it even more! Thank you for sharing them, I’d been thinking of buying the book and I think I’ve made up my mind that I will now 🙂
February 27, 2012 at 12:39 pm
anushka108Natalie Singh
Great post – I must go and see it before it ends. Love your blog and your art! (how do I follow?)
February 27, 2012 at 8:32 pm
Claire
Hi Anushka, I think there is a ‘subscribe’ button on the sidebar of the blog and a ‘like’ option if you view it on an ipad or smart phone. Hope that helps. Claire 🙂
February 27, 2012 at 1:35 pm
sue
What a glorious post Claire I didn’t realise how diverse Hockneys work is, beautiful!
February 27, 2012 at 4:09 pm
Helen Philipps
Your review of the Hockney exhibition is brilliant, Claire, thank you for sharing it. The pictures are stunning! I have always loved Hockney’s work,and his down to earth but truly creative personality, which you have evoked here.
I’m sure you must feel even more inspired now to create your own new pictures!
Helen x
February 28, 2012 at 11:05 am
Andrew Herridge Art
Imagine you are a woodland creature, a butterfly in summer, a fox in the autumn. Your senses are heightened beyond the human scale. Maybe this is the intensity of colour and clarity of form that you would see? Hockney’s ‘Bigger Pictures’ on one level may allow us to see the countryside through a field creature’s eyes?
http://www.andrewherridge.co.uk/index.php/blog
February 29, 2012 at 3:12 pm
Dana Barbieri
Thank you for brightening up my day Claire. Love this post! I really wish I could see this exhibition! Love the bit about the sketchbooks, and about encouraging others to paint even in their own backyard. Your description of the paint application is enticing. The color in Double East Yorkshire is fantastic! Thanks Claire. xo
March 2, 2012 at 3:03 pm
Five For Friday | Dana Barbieri
[…] love the way Claire shares her recent visit to the David Hockney […]
February 11, 2013 at 10:32 pm
hookandply
Fabulous. I visited the exhibition three times and was sorry to see it end. Inspiring…
July 17, 2013 at 12:21 pm
Fishink
Lovely Blog post Claire. I saw the last exhibition he had in Salts Mill but didn’t get to see this so I’m indebted to you for showing and explaining in so much detail. Amazing art and such a creative and ever self challenging artist. I’ve such respect for him and how he forever changes his style and ways of seeing. We can learn so much from him.
September 13, 2013 at 4:05 pm
lj
So VanGoghian!