Photocollage...

So David chose to move into the whole photo collage thing in the 70's and 80's, with the advent of the personal computer and personal printer. One of his more famous collages is called "Pearlblossom Highway", done in 1986.

The Pearlblossom Highway is a stretch of road about 15 miles Southeast of Palmdale in Southern California. There were many pictures taken and put together in collage form, giving the viewer a spectacular glimpse of the lonely road. Having lived in Southern California, I can tell you that outside of the bigger cities, there are quite a number of roads like this one, where there are signs that pop up, telling the driver that "you are not alone" in this vast desert.

I think that, given the opportunity, this would be a fun project to complete here in West Chester. It would no doubt take a long, long time to complete, but would give you one glimpse of a place, taken from thousands of moments, just like David did with Pearlblossom Highway.

Email response...

So I emailed David's "people" to see if I could get an interview with him. I finally got a response back. I'm totally psyched that they even acknowledged me in the first place.
Please read below:

Dear Bill Jensen, Thank you for your inquiry to David Hockney. Mr Hockney is at present deeply engaged in preparations for a major exhibition of his work at the Royal Academy of Arts in London next year. Consequently he is responding to very few requests for interviews or invitations to participate in other projects at this time. Please know, however, that your interest in the artist and his work is much appreciated. Best regards, George Snyder David Hockney, Inc.

Pretty sweet, huh? Anyway, I knew that he was super busy with the whole Olympics thing, so my hopes weren't all that high to begin with, but to actually get something back is nice!
Enjoy your super day!!!

Man Taking Shower In Beverly Hills...

So, David painted this in 1964, when he was living in California, and was infatuated with the beautiful bodies of the guys there. He tended to paint wet naked men during this time, and it was then that he perfected his realistic style for which he became known.

As I look at this painting, I think about how he must have finally felt at peace in his life. He was able to embrace his sexual preference, and lived openly as a gay man. To gain that sense of freedom HAD to have given his creative energy a huge boost! I like the use of colors in this; the living room scene in the background draws the eye in a subtle way. 

I have a Psychology background, and find it very interesting that his wet man has such an ambiguous face; one that you can't quite make out. It's almost as if he is saying that any man would do. It's quite obvious to the viewer that the most important, intriguing part of the picture to David is the guy's butt. It's much lighter in color than the rest of the man's body, suggesting a healthy tan. However, it also highlights the "prize", so to speak.

I'm not a gay man, but can absolutely appreciate a healthy, good looking body. I think that David did a great job with this picture.

Intro to this blog, and biography of David Hockney...

Hi! This is my blog in regards to David Hockney's body of work. I will look at many different works of art that he has done, and give my thoughts on them. I hope you like what I have to say.
David Hockney was born in Great Britain, and at a very young age, he was interested in art. Upon being accepted into the Bradford Grammar School, he enjoyed his art classes so much, that he asked to be transferred to the Regional College of Art in Bradford. It was here that David began to open up and explore what life had to offer, both in art and in his own sexuality. He came out of the closet at Regional, and it began to show in his art, where he would write words like "queer" and "unorthodox lover" on his paintings. Most unusual by British standards, but absolutely comfortable to David. He was an artist, after all!
David made his way to the USA, where his "mecca" was California. Much like myself, he loved Santa Monica Pier (my favorite place on earth!!!). Through a sequence of events, and a couple of teaching gigs in different parts of America and the UK, David met Peter Schlesinger, who became the subject of many photographs. Eventually, though, as most things do, the relationship grew stale, and their eyes began to wander to other pastures, so to speak.
Eventually, David began to make photo-collages. This was achieved by taking many pictures, and putting them together to a theme. In the 90's, he was able to utilize laser printers, which took his art to another level.
These days, David's landscape work will be on display at the Royal Academy of Arts as part of the countdown to the London 2012 Olympics.
I found his contact information, and requested an interview, if possible. I'll keep everyone informed of the outcome of said request.