The exhibition David Hockney opens to the public November 27, 2017, till February 25, 2018; at the Met Fifth Avenue.
David Hockney hardly needs an introduction. His 1967 painting, A Bigger Splash, is the highest selling postcard at the Met, beating even Van Gogh or Monet. He was a central figure in the pop art movement in the 1960’s, and is one of the most influential British artists of the 20th century—best known for his swimming pool paintings, portraits of friends, and his trademark of employing the most striking array of colors.
But perhaps he is most celebrated for his unabashed expression of his own sexuality during a time when one was expected not to be so roaring about such matters. Hockney began painting explicit subjects of queer love and the male figure in the early 60’s, when homosexuality was still illegal in Britain. He knew two things from an early age: that he liked art and that he liked boys. Homosexuality would not be decriminalized in Britain until 1967, and Hockney would become something of an icon for queer love.
David Hockney’s “Cleaning Teeth; Early Evening (10 p.m.), W.11,” from 1962.
The artist himself joined the opening reception at the Met this Monday, dressed in a pastel green vest and red tie. After being swarmed by media, he gently offered, “I want my work to be seen. I don’t have to be seen. Thank you very much.” Hockney was delighted to be featured next door to Michelangelo’s exhibition, Divine Draftsman & Designer.
The major retrospective presents key moments of David Hockney’s career from 1960 to the present. His works are illustrative of his curiosity for the nature of perception and representation. This fascination began when he was studying Fra Angelico’s Annunciation, in which “the position of line, clear bright color, and figures in a tight framework with its own shallow spatial logic was surely a lasting influence on Hockney,” quoted Meredith Brown at the opening reception.
The show includes all medium: painting, drawing, photography, and video. Now at the age of 80, Hockney is more prolific than ever, and the show presents some of his most recent digital art, produced on an iPad/iPhone. The retrospective first opened at Tate Britain, London; moving to the Centre Pompidou, Paris for the summer; and finally arriving in North America at the Met.
David Hockney’s “Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures),” from 1972
David Hockney at opening reception of “David Hockney” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, November 20, 2017
At The Met, David Hockney is curated by Ian Alteveer, Curator, with assistance from
Meredith Brown, Research Associate, both in the Department of Modern and
Contemporary Art. It is organized collaboratively by Tate Britain, London; the Centre Pompidou, Paris; and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
