David Hockney Portraits
Masterful people-watching at the Royal Academy
It was a very precise self-assignment: For his recent show at the Royal Academy of Art in London, David Hockney returned to his studio in Los Angeles and invited people up to sit for him for three days. Twenty hours of him painting their portraits, in his usual riot of pastel hues—red, pink, green, blue and aqua. The sitters were friends, family and acquaintances—artists, gallerists, his studio manager. Each canvas was exactly the same size (48 by 36 inches) with shades of blue for a background. Each subject sat in the same yellow chair. Yet their striking individuality would come through, brilliantly.
The exhibit was called “David Hockney: 82 Portraits and 1 Still-life.” Abrams published a book of the same title, with 130 color illustrations. And PROVOKR offers a sample half-dozen portraits here for your perusal.
