THE WEEKLY CHASE | HAPPY BIRTHDAY MR. HOCKNEY

In the fullest sense, LA celebrates David Hockney as much as England does. His transport into the United States and specifically to Los Angeles in the 1960s showcased the "American landscape" from a outsider's perspective. His vibrant use of color made him an important feature in the Pop art movement while his subsequent work has explored a versatile list of mediums; including anything from sketches and photography collage to iPad drawings printed on paper. As a celebration of his eightieth birthday, both Los Angeles (The Getty) and England (Tate Britain) have showcased Hockney's astounding career.

As a previous viewer of Hockney's work, I felt as if I was able to view Hockney in a more personal light. In a two-story featured exhibition entitled, Happy Birthday Mr. Hockney, the J. Paul Getty Museum highlighted some of Hockney's lesser known pieces including a self portrait series, in which Hockney observed and sketched himself everyday in a mirror for some time. As Monet captured the water lilies continuously throughout the day, Hockney explored the many sides of his waking self. The sketches show him yawning and disheveled as well as properly dressed and smiling. Forthright and earnest, Hockney's self portraits are playful and amusing, presenting the relatable image we all see each morning; the many sides of ourselves.

I must say however, I rekindled my love for Hockney through his photography collages, or as he called them "joiners". Beginning with Polaroids and subsequently moving onto 35mm color prints, Hockney shot an image at slightly different perspectives and different times, and then patching the photos back together to create a composite image. As a study of movement, Hockney was interested in understanding human vision and these subtleties can be seen throughout the work. While some are more straight forward, such as Chair (above), where there are clear delineations between the lines, the only tell tale sign that it is not one image cut into pieces is the apparent shadow movement. There are then pieces such as Pearblossom Highway, 11-18th April, 1986, #2, in which Hockney used 800 color prints to create a massive, more abstracted scene. Layered skies and deserts create its own semblance of an image while producing an insanely structured texture. With a similar saturated color palette, Hockney's observing takes on a new light and is once again playful, stimulating, and ever so unique.

Although this was a small selection of Hockney's ever-increasing experiments, it only further established how Hockney has successfully embraced and evolved with mediums throughout his career. In his eightieth year of life, Hockney continues to astound and remains an international gem. 

Pearblossom Hwy, 11-18th April, 1986. Image courtesy of The Getty.

Furstenberg, Paris, August 7,8,9. 1985. Image courtesy of The Getty.