David Hockney Still Life

1. David HockneyStill Life

2. BACKGROUND Artist – David Hockney Lived – 1937 – present Born in – Bradford, England Hockney was always seen as an eccentric in Bradford and he never really cared what people thought of him. He was obsessed with opera and literature and this later inspired his work and set designs. Rejected Movement/s – Hockney was originally associated with the Pop Art movement but his early work had expressionist elements. His work has similarities to a variety of movements from cubism to realism. Inspired by – Hockney has been inspired by cubism and realism throughout his artistic career. His work has similarities to the work of Edward Hopper, Van Gogh, Picasso and Kandinsky (landscapes). His still life’s have similarities to that of Mattisse, Lichtenstein (Pop Art style), The Scottish Colourists and many impressionists and post impressionists. His subject matter is similar is focused on plants, flowers, vases, fruit and general domestic scenes. Studied– He studied at Bradford College of Art and then at the Royal College of Art in London. Style – Hockney was a keen photographer and this influenced his painting style. At the beginning of his career he painted portraits, landscapes and created cubist style, photo collages inspired by literature. He also worked on stage set designs, graphic design and photographic collages. His more contemporary work is bigger and bolder in colour. He is one of the most well known artists emerging from the 60s art scene in Britain. Main Subject Matter - Portraits, family scenes, landscapes, buildings, swimming pools and everyday scenes. Went on to inspire – A new generation of colourful contemporary portrait painters. Hockney still creates work to this day. He now uses an ipad to help him create artwork as age has made painting vast canvases difficult for him. David Hockney ‘Red, Blue and Green Flowers’ July, 1986 Henri Mattise ‘The Parakeet and the Mermaid’ 1952 Peploe ‘Still Life’ c. 1912

3. Influences from the Wider World • Hockney was inspired the films that he watched frequently with his father. He was drawn to the light and the drama of Hollywood • He was influenced by literature and poetry in his early work. • He studied alongside Peter Blake and Allen Jones so was inspired by the Pop Art culture of the 1960s and 70s. • Hockney moved to Los Angeles in 1963 and was influenced by the relaxed and sunny atmosphere. He became well known for his paintings of swimming pools and this reflected the culture of his life in LA. • With the development of photography as an artistic and technological medium, Hockney began to use photography to capture images of Californian homes. He would print polaroids and stick them together, he called these creations a ‘joiner’. He became well known for these collages. • Having become quite famous in the 1960s and 70s, Hockney was influenced by, and friends with, other contemporary artists like Andy Warhol and actor/ filmmaker / artist Dennis Hopper. • During Hockney’s formative years, he was inspired by the popular culture of the 1960s and 70s. It was a time after the war that saw the introduction of colour tv, American influences, rock and roll and a free, liberal society. • In his more recent work, Hockney has returned to his roots in Yorkshire and created many landscapes that illustrate the changing seasons and moods of the countryside. Andy Warhol – Pop Art David Hockney – ‘A Bigger Splash’ - 1967 Peter Blake – ‘Self Portrait with Badges’ - 1961 Peter Blake – ‘On the Balcony’ – 1955-57 David Hockney – ‘joiner’ example

4. Hockney and his work

5. Hockney has used a simple, and consistent colour palette that creates a clean, subtle and organised mood • The composition of the fruit is very organised and considered and therefore, the print feels clinical and intentional • The fruit bowl is positioned off centre and makes the composition feel unbalanced • The shapes of the fruit are simplified, exaggerated and abstract • The printing method has created a still life that feels very like a piece of graphic design • The lines and textures in the background frame the fruit bowl and also add texture to the overall composition • The printing technique has resulted in small gaps between each object and this white space frames each area • The colour choice and printing technique is reminiscent of the 80s, the era this artwork was created – reminiscent of work by Keith Haring and other influential 1980s artists • It has a pop art feel to it because of the illustrative and cartoon-like style to the work – reminiscent of Lichtenstein • How has Hockney positioned the subject matter and • what effect does this have? • By using a minimal colour palette, what effect has • Hockney created? • What is your opinion of this piece? Why? Contemporary artist, Calum Colvin’s artwork has similarities to Hockney’s collaged ‘joiners’ Title – The Round Plate Artist – David Hockney Date – April 1986 Medium –Home Made Print Size – 8 1/2 x 11 in. Roy Lichtenstein, ‘Still Life with Palette’, 1972 Keith Haring, an artist inspired by pop artist and graphic design in the 1980s

6. A minimalistic and modern looking still life • Feels clean, crisp and considered • The colour palette is small and there are a mixture of hot and cold colours – warms tones in the background, framing the objects and cooler tones in the foreground objects • Simple shapes, lines and textures create a feeling of peace, calmness and order • It has a quiet atmosphere due to the order of the objects and the lack of tone in the background colour • Masculine approach to line, angles and composition however, the warm, peachy background brings a feminine and maternal touch • Creative use of shadow to enhance the appearance of form in the vases, light and bottle • Architectural feeling as the objects all appear to have geometric qualities • Feel reminiscent of Hopper’s work (the minimal approach to colour, tone and space) and similar to the paintings of Elizabeth Blackadder (composition and minimalism) • Why do you think Hockney has chosen these objects? • How has the paint been applied? How can you tell this and where is it most prominent? • What does the inclusion of flowers do? • Is this piece balanced or not? Why and how do you know this? • Does this painting have a feeling of movement or stillness? How and why do you feel this? Title: Still Life On a Glass Table Artist: David Hockney Date:  1971 Medium: acrylic on canvas Size: 72x108 in. Elizabeth Blackadder, ‘Self Portrait with Red Lacquar Table’, 1988 Edward Hopper, ‘Nighthawks’, 1942

7. In this work, painted a year before his father's death, Hockney's style has shifted towards a closer study of human behaviour. His mother poses, attentive and graceful, while his father, who fidgeted during sittings, is posed reading a book. This style of pose (using two sitters) was explored frequently by Hockney. This simplified and tight style is remiminiscent of Edward Hopper’s portraiture compositions. • Hockney has used a bright colour palette and applied tone and texture in a simplistic and thoughtful way. The way Hockney has carefully painted his Mother, looking directly forwards, suggests a sense of comfort, ease and love between them. Her regal stance also suggests respect and dignity. The reflection in the mirror has been considered by Hockney and can perhaps tell us more about the kind of scene his parents inhabited. • Hockney created many ‘double portraits’ around this time • He has used oil paints to create a smooth appearance on canvas • Hockney has used a mirror to reflect the background scene – why? • Hockney has used a bright and bold colour palette using predominantly cool colours • Like many of Hockney’s paintings he has used colour, line, shape, pattern and texture to create a simplified and abstract piece of work – where are these visual elements used? • How does this painting make you feel? Why? • Hockney has created a sense of character in his parents – how has he done this? • How is this painting similar to some of Hockney’s other work? • A bright cheery composition • Clean and simplistic in style • A static feeling, clinical, clean cut, crisp • Posed and formal Title – My Parents Artist – David Hockney Date – 1977 Medium – Oil on canvas Size – 1829 x 1829 mm Edward Hopper, ‘Summer Evening’ 1947