Hockney continued
Still on my Hockney trip. i have just caught up with the Andrew Marr interview with H and tour of the exhibition - an excellent program. It is great to hear an artist speaking in such normal accessible language. As he says - it doesnt matter where you are, eveything can become interesting because you are looking at it (really looking that is). The prog also helped explain his pproblem with the camera. Chinese art on a scroll was like walking through the landscape, but the european idea, derived from the use of the camera obscura, was like looking through a window, and so not in the landscape. I'm still not sure I agree - if you print a photograph big enough (like H's huge paintings) taken from the right viewpoint it can feel like you are there.
Hockney art and photography
Attended the David Hockney exhibition at the Royal Academy on Sunday. Wonderful vivid (over so if you are a realist) paintings and ipad drawings of our less dramatic landscape (Yorkshire wolds mostly). He has produced an amazingly high volume of work in recent years - in his 70's too - hope for many.
However I do not understand his apparent disagreement with the camera, and its viewing ability. His summer oil landscapes are very reminiscent
in style of photographic landscapes that I would take - except of course that a paint artist can choose to be selective, leaving out detritus and detail.
It is strange how photographers are often criticised for oversaturating their images in post production, whereas paint artists are praised for such. Hockney's are described as "imaginative", especially those he painted from memory in the studio rather than live out in the field. His mind loves pink roads, purple shadows etc. Well worth a visit.
Spring is on its way - Snowdrops at the Bury
The first day of March 2012 brought a wonderful warmish, sunny day. With crocuses out worshipping the sun in our garden, I thought it best to head up to the Bury at St Pauls Walden to catch the snowdrops before they all fade away. It was a wonderful hour or so, studying various viewpoints, bot close and low and distant.