David Hockney

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

David Hockney, CH, RA, (born July 9, 1937) is an English artist, based in Los Angeles, California. An important contributor to British Pop Art of the 1960s, he is considered one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century.^{[citation needed]}

Contents 1 Image 2 Early life 3 Art schools 4 United States 5 Teaching 6 Relationships 7 Works 8 Secret Knowledge controversy 9 Awards 10 Collections and shows 11 Trivia 12 Further reading 13 External links

[edit] Image

David Hockney has often been regarded as a playboy of the art world, having promiscuous relationships and being active in fringe circles. He maintains stability in his life through a constant, tireless devotion to his work. Hockney is an artist who has always enjoyed success and praise, facing little or no hardship in his career. His work is typified by a utopian colour range, light and a notable lack of angst even when dealing with controversial themes. His work was somewhat unorthodox but somehow his work made him alive and free.

[edit] Early life

He was born July 9th 1937 in Saltaire, Bradford, England, to Laura and Kenneth Hockney. The Hockneys were described by David as a "radical working-class family". David Hockney had a strict Methodist upbringing, and smoking and drinking were forbidden in the home. Kenneth was a radical and had been a conscientious objector during World War I. David Hockney was always considered an eccentric in his home town, but ignored public disapproval. He is said to have spent his time at Sunday school drawing cartoons of Jesus, much to his teachers' dismay. As a child, he developed an obsession with opera when he first saw the Carl Rosa Opera Company's production of La Bohème.

In 1948, David Hockney won a scholarship to Bradford Grammar School, where he enjoyed his art classes at the expense of other subjects and decided to become an artist. In 1950, he asked to be transferred to the Regional College of Art in Bradford, but was forced to finish his general education first. His unconventional behaviour and poor grades did not prevent him winning prizes and recognition for his artwork, and he drew comics for the school newspaper.

[edit] Art schools

In 1953, Hockney enrolled in the College of Art, Hockney concluded that painting was a process of seeing and thinking, rather than one of imitation. His artwork was abstract and quite personal and allowed him to deal with human sexuality and love in a public, yet still inhibited manner. He developed a penchant for painting mirrors and loved the artwork of painters such as Francis Bacon (painter) and other contemporary 'greats'. Socially, he made a lot of friends, but never really expressed any sexual interests. His group of acquaintances would often travel into London to catch various art shows. In the summer of 1957, Hockney took the National Diploma in Design Examination. He graduated with honours and then enrolled in the Painting School of the Royal College of Art in London two years later, after fulfilling his National Service (military) duties by working in hospitals, as he was a conscientious objector. It was at the Royal College of Art that he would gain national attention as an artist.

Hockney immediately felt at home at the Royal College. There were no steadfast rules or regulations. Not only did he find much success and pride in his work, but he also thrived in the many friendships he made there. He and his friends spent much of their time in the studio, but they explored the pubs and coffee bars around town as much as possible. Hockney was a serious student, however, and dedicated much effort to painting. During his first term, he experimented with more abstract styles, but he felt unsatisfied with that work, still seeking his own style. His professors were receptive to his artwork, but Hockney seemed to learn the most from his fellow students and peers. Furthermore, he began to feel a need for meaningful subject matter. He started by painting works about vegetarianism and poetry he liked reading. Hockney even began painting about his sexual orientation, writing words such as "queer" and 'unorthodox lover" in some of his paintings. While Hockney had been aware of his attraction to males growing up in Bradford, he had never felt comfortable talking about his sexual orientation until he came to the Royal College and befriended other gay men.

[edit] United States

In summer 1961, Hockney traveled to New York for the first time. His friend Mark Berger showed him around all the city's galleries and museums, while Ferrill Amacker introduced him into gay circles. To pay for the trip, Hockney sold several of his paintings. He was also able to work on other paintings and sketches while he was there at the Pratt Institute's facilities. It was from his New York sketchbooks that Hockney came up with the idea for an updated version of William Hogarth's "Rake's Progress," which he finished in two years. Hockney was offered £5,000 for the plates and thus was able to live in America for a year at the end of 1963. In the mean time, he finished his studies at the Royal College and received considerable attention from critics, professors, and peers at several student shows. At this time early on in Hockney's career, his artwork was poetic and tended to tell stories. He even wrote poetic ramblings on many of his paintings as well. For a short time, Hockney was in danger of not receiving his diploma because he had failed his Art History courses. Nonetheless, he was awarded the gold medal for outstanding distinction at the convocation and ended his college career on a high note.

In New York, Hockney met Andy Warhol, at whose studio, The Factory, young artists often met and socialized. He also met Dennis Hopper there. However, Hockney's main purpose in returning to the States was to travel to California. Hockney had become fascinated with the images of young, built, tan men in the publication Physique Pictorial, which he had collected while in London, and he was hungry to experience the sleazy underground world of Los Angeles. He immediately loved the city and made Santa Monica his home. Spending much of his day at Santa Monica pier, Hockney would just people-watch and admire the beautiful boys that seemed to be at the beach every day of the year. This new environment greatly inspired him. In his California paintings, such as Man in Shower in Beverly Hills (1964), Hockney featured mainly wet, sculpted men and typically colorful southern California architecture. Overall, he was enamoured of the more laid-back, sunny lifestyle that the city of Los Angeles provided. It was around this time that Hockney developed the naturalistic, realistic style he is most known for today.

[edit] Teaching

In the summer of 1964, Hockney was invited to teach at the University of Iowa, where he was able to complete four paintings in six weeks. An old friend from London, designer Ossie Clark, came to America for the first time and visited Hockney in Iowa. The two travelled the country, visiting gay bars. Hockney hosted his first American exhibition in New York. It was a sell-out show garnering rave reviews.

[edit] Relationships

In December of 1964, Hockney returned to London to give a talk on homosexual imagery in America. A year later, he returned to America to teach at the University of Colorado at Boulder where he lived in an apartment without windows and painted the Rocky Mountains from memory. After his term there, Hockney went to California where he met a blond beach bum, "a marvellous work of art, called Bob," and took him home. Hockney flew Bob out to London, but they soon parted.

Two years later, Hockney met a 19-year-old student, Peter Schlesinger. Schlesinger became Hockney's favorite subject, and the many drawings of him show the informal intimacy of the two. A year later, Schlesinger transferred to Los Angeles from Santa Cruz and they moved into an apartment together. In June 1967, Hockney took Schlesinger to Europe, and they toured the continent. At this time, Hockney's interest in photography grew. He would take endless shots of Schlesinger, mostly for fun, but also for study.

In 1971, tension intruded into the relationship. The age difference had become a problem, and Schlesinger wanted some independence. Hockney's social life became more active once again. He continued to entertain large groups of people in his studio and basked in the glory of his fame. After Hockney took a short break in America, they split up. Later, the two reunited in Barcelona, unsuccessfully. Hockney was badly affected and started taking Valium to combat the depression and loneliness he suffered.

[edit] Works

Hockney became dedicated to painting and showcasing his work in various exhibitions. His work had gained esteem and international attention. Critics applauded the power of his art. Most of his paintings from the late 1960s and early 1970s, particularly Mr. and Mrs. Clark and Percy (1970-1971), adhered to the concept of naturalism – that is, subjects as they appear. His interest in photography greatly advanced his skill in this area, but Hockney felt as though he depended on it too much. He preferred using the photographs to study light, rather than to aid his memory. For the most part, Hockney was concerned with finding a balance between pure skill and pure art in his idea of naturalism. He did not want his art to seem overtly academic, moreover, he had not satisfied his abstract tendencies.

In 1974, Hockney was the subject of Jack Hazan's film, A Bigger Splash (named after one of Hockney's swimming pool paintings from 1967). At first, Hockney was shocked by the film which raised intimate issues. In particular, he was disturbed by the film's portrayal of his relationship with Schlesinger. However, after the film received attention and praise, Hockney signed for its release. The film was banned in many countries for its explicit portrayal of homosexuality, but won many awards among the critics.

In the 1980s, Hockney turned to photo collage. Using a Polaroid camera, Hockney would assemble collages of photos taken as quickly as possible. Hockney was fascinated with the idea of seeing things through a window frame. This medium allowed him to see things in a whole new fashion. He took a drive in the southwest United States taking thousands of photos and fitting them altogether into various collages, such as You make the picture, Zion Canyon, Utah. His artwork also began to take on a psychological dimension. In the autumn of 1983, Hockney began a series of self-portraits, allowing the public to enter his personal inner life. In these works Hockney was quite vulnerable and unsure of himself, even though he had achieved major artistic success.

In the 1990s, Hockney continued to experiment with rising technologies. He used a color laser copier in some of his works and reproduced some of his paintings. Hockney was impressed with the vibrancy of color that could be achieved using such devices. He also began sending drawings to friends via fax machines and was thrilled with this new way of communication. Much of the appeal lay in the fact that these newly produced images had no financial value at all at the outset. At first, this way of sharing art was an act of love and appreciation. Later however, galleries in other countries featured fax exchanges with David Hockney.

[edit] Secret Knowledge controversy

Main article: Hockney-Falco thesis

In the 2001 television programme and book, Secret Knowledge, Hockney posited that the Old Masters used camera obscura techniques, which allowed the subject to be projected onto the surface of the canvas, leaving the task of the painter to simply match and fill in the colors. Hockney argues that this technique migrated gradually to Italy and most of Europe, and is the reason for the photographic style of painting we see in the Renaissance and other periods of art. In collaboration with Hockney, Charles Falco, a physicist at the University of Arizona, used optical calculations to show that several errors made in paintings by several Renaissance artists agreed with what they would have painted had they been using a concave mirror to help trace some parts of the paintings, thus leading to what is now known as the Hockney-Falco thesis. Critics of this theory argue that there is no clear evidence from the renaissance period to indicate that optical devices available at that time could produce the kind of images that would have been required to support these claims.

[edit] Awards

Hockney was made a Companion of Honour in 1997 and was made an RA, Royal Academician by the Royal Academy of Arts, London in 1991.

[edit] Collections and shows

Many of Hockney's works are housed in the old Salts Mill in Saltaire, in his home town of Bradford.

A Bigger Grand Canyon, a series of 60 paintings combined to produce one enormous picture, was bought by the National Gallery of Australia for $4.6 million.

On 21 June 2006, his painting of The Splash fetched £2.6m - a record for a Hockney painting [1].

In October 2006 the National Portrait Gallery in London organized one of the largest ever displays of Hockney's portraiture work. The collection consisted of his earliest self portraits up to his latest work completed in 2005. The exhibition proved to be one of the most successful in the gallery's history, and Hockney himself assisted in displaying the works.

[edit] Trivia

In September 2005 he declared his opposition to the proposed UK ban on smoking in public places. Hockney favours red carpet slippers, and wears them on most occasions.

[edit] Further reading

David Hockney: Paintings, by Paul and Ulrich Luckhardt Melia, 2007
Secret Knowledge (New and Expanded Edition): Rediscovering the Lost Techniques of the Old Masters, by David Hockney, 2006
David Hockney Portraits, by Sarah Howgate, Barbara Stern Shapiro, Mark Glazebrook, and Edmund White, 2006
David Hockney's Dog Days, by David Hockney, 2006
That's the Way I See It, by David Hockney and Nikos Stangos, 2005
Hockney's Pictures: The Definitive Retrospective, by Gregory Evan, 2004
Hockney's People, by Kay Heymer and Marco Livingstone, 2003
David Hockney, by Marco Livingstone, 2002
Paper Pools, by David Hockney, 1981

[edit] External links

• DavidHockney.com tribute site
• Salts Mill in Saltaire, Yorkshire, England, contains a permanent exhibition of Hockney's work.
• Peter getting out of Nick's pool (1966)
• New Yorker review of Hockney's Secret Knowledge (his suggestion that the Old Masters used optical devices to aid drawing)
• Hockney leads smoking ban protest BBC article.
• 'Cooler than Warhol, more enduring than Freud' Interview The Guardian
• David Hockney