David Hockney, iconic British artist known for his colorful landscapes and pool scenes, dies at 88. “His work is admired — loved is not too strong a word — by the millions who, worldwide, flock to see it because it presupposes an expectation of pleasure.”
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Such sad news. The word gets thrown around a lot, but he truly was a genius. For those who haven't read it, I'd strongly recommend his book "Secret Knowledge". The BBC also made a documentary of it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-0UXBcjlRY
I enjoyed the book, but didn't realize there was a documentary. Thanks for sharing!
A pure talent and a wonderful person. As Charles III* put it, he wore his genius so lightly. Behold the yellow Crocs. At Buckingham Palace:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgjxdr27z4o
*I found his statement eloquent, and this immediately made me recall Magnifica Humanitas. Weird sources of strong public writing. Weird times.
I saw his mid-2010s exhibit at the De Young in San Francisco and I can still feel the mesmerizing, poignant experience of his video pieces on the changing seasons. I bought a couple postcards of his Yosemite iPad drawings expecting to send them to friends but I just couldn't let them go.
Hockney was not only an excellent, versatile, all-time-great art maker, but also a brilliant, no-nonsense thinker about art. His book, “Hand Eye Heart” (and its title) sums up so well the three important things that a great artist needs. And I’m not sure there is a better documentary about an artist and his process than Bruno Wollheim’s “David Hockney A Bigger Picture”, showing him working on his amazing Yorkshire series (you can rent it on Vimeo, or buy the DVD online, really worth it).
If Lightroom (in London, UK) ever show David Hockney: Bigger & Closer (not smaller & further away), go and see it. I went three times and it remains my favourite art show or exhibition I’ve seen in my life (and I was lucky to see his massive Paris exhibition last year as well).
Found the documentary you mentioned on Kanopy as well.
https://www.kanopy.com/video/110146
The poster in my college dorm room senior year was Pearblossom Highway. In every piece I saw of his, every interview, every book and essay, he has always helped me understand the shape (and color!) of the world a little differently. I even used to have students do collage self-portraits in the style of Hockney. Maybe that’s something we’ll do again to close the year, come to think of it…
There's a really good TV segment from a few years later where he's showing how he made it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGK9gua_lQE
Lovers, housewives, deserts and dogs: David Hockney’s greatest works – in pictures.
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