Thursday, December 10, 2009


Hockney Repeats at Tate Britain

I've seen the David Hockney room at Tate Britain a few times and thought that his three huge landscape paintings (made up of lots of smaller paintings) which all looked very similar were a bit rubbish - although I quite liked the repetition. It was pointed out to me yesterday on a flying visit that only one of the paintings is actually a painting and the other two are photographs of the original. This makes it all quite a lot more intriguing and interesting. It also means that I obviously do not look at things properly.

I can't find a picture of the room to post here (the Tate website does not have an image - maybe there are copyright issues) only an image of the painting which is called Bigger Trees Near Warter Or/Ou Peinture Sur Le Motif Pour Le Nouvel Age Post-Photographique, 2007

8 comments:

Corinna Spencer said...

There was a Hockney documentary, it may have been an *imagine* BBC one a few months ago. Anyway it focused on Hockney making those huge paintings and the process of him photographing the work, playing with the photograph digitally and them going back to the painting to get the same effect (I found that interesting because I photograph my painting a lot, review it, and then return to it). I got a bit lost in the Docu though, as to (in the end) what was painting and what were photographs in the final show.(plus i didnt see it so..)

From what I saw the photographs seemed more successful.

Thanks
best
Corinna

Cathy said...

Yes I think you're right the photos are more successful.
There is a brilliant film about the young Hackney btw - A Bigger Splash - don't know if you'v seen it. Really recommend it. It is basically a documentary but the director has kind of made it into a story - also London i the 70s looks so grim especially around Notting Hill it is amazing.

Corinna Spencer said...

Thank you Cathy, I will track that film down. I love the off handed way he talks about his work, and seems to revel in the short cuts he makes. (not sure if thats a *later life* development.

Thank you
(seeing Rubbernecking tomorrow-looking forward to it)
x

Cathy said...

I'll be at the gallery tomorrow - so see you then

CAP said...

Rough view of recent Hockney @ Pace Wilderstein NY.

CAP said...

Also Bigger Splash - made by Jack Hazan, (74-5?) who used to have his offices in Soho (late 70s-early 80s), and where I worked for a time in the cutting rooms on South Bank Shows...

Simon Walton said...

None of Hocknney's images are available anywhere. There are dire warnings on his site not to copy the images for whatever reason making it interesting when doing research as part of a degree.

Cathy said...

I love that film 'A Bigger Splash' btw Cap. I saw it quite recently at the BFI and there was a q&a with the director.