As one of the most influential artists in the world, 84-year-old David Hockney has not rested on his laurels focusing only on oil painting. Instead, he keeps up with the times, learning to use the latest technology to create art and actively exploring the possibilities of creating art with different media. Since 2007, David Hockney has been able to paint with an iPhone, and now he creates with an iPad and Apple Pencil. Recently, over a hundred of the master’s iPad paintings have been publicly exhibited, allowing art enthusiasts to appreciate this pop art master’s “new wave” works!
The Royal Academy of Arts in London and the Centre for Fine Arts in Brussels (BOZAR) began an exhibition in June this year titled “The Arrival of Spring,” showcasing over a hundred paintings by David Hockney on iPad, with the theme of the spring scenery in the French countryside of Normandy. The master chose spring scenery as the subject, not only to praise the beauty of nature, but more importantly, to bring a ray of hope to this world troubled by the pandemic.
David Hockney has been living in a small village in Normandy, southern France in recent years, erasing the hustle and bustle of the city, and making nature the center of his life. He shared that he spent most of the past year focusing on springtime in Normandy. Living in a house surrounded by four acres of orchards, he dedicates each day to one thing: painting. Through his paintings, he captures the vibrant life of flowers, plants, and trees, even painting water lilies in a pond like Monet, ultimately creating this series of lively springtime scenes.
The master actively explores various media for creative techniques. In addition to painting, he is also active in photography, design, and stage art, making him a versatile artist. Starting from the iPhone in 2007 to using the Apple Pencil on the iPad in 2010, David Hockney created as many as 116 new works during this period. David even transfers his iPad drawings onto paper and supervises the entire printing process, without relying on others. David Hockney has stated that creating on the iPad also emphasizes painting techniques, with each printed work being larger than what is seen on the screen, allowing viewers to clearly see every trace and brushstroke.
A painting titled “Artist Portrait (Pool with Two Figures)” once set a record for the highest-priced artwork by a modern painter, created when David was only 25 years old. This iconic piece, renowned in the art world, solidified his status as the father of Pop Art, with his talent and unique artistic style influencing the art world for nearly a century. However, he did not stop there. Over a 60-year career, he no longer focused on whether his paintings met market demands, but instead returned to basics, capturing the beauty of life’s landscapes. While everyone is still living under the shadow of the pandemic, why not rediscover the beauty of life from David Hockney’s paintings, appreciating the beautiful scenery that has never left us.
Image source and information: Royal Academy of Arts, London
