David Hockney’s favourite painting of all time
He’s one of the most revered artists of his time, and David Hockney has more than his fair share of stories to show for it. The Bradford native was one of the key contributors to the pop art movement of the 1960s, with his efforts doing a great deal to usher in the arrival of postmodernism. Hockney’s art covers almost every conceivable aspect of the human condition, from lust to the pastoral.
He first broke through in 1961 as part of the Royal Society for British Artists exhibition, ‘Young Contemporaries’, which also saw the likes of Peter Blake, Pauline Boty and others burst onto the scene. Together, this set demonstrated that there was a new standard within British art and that the ancient conception of form was to be torn apart and reconfigured.
Unlike many of his contemporaries, Hockney is still active today at 85, with 20 of his iPad paintings currently on show in five selected galleries across Europe and America. He draws on a host of influences, meaning that his work isn’t solely restricted to pop art, with expressionism, photography, collages, cubism and Plein air landscapes all featuring. This multiplicity makes it one of the more intriguing collections out there.
Another significant facet of Hockney’s work is that he possesses a synaesthetic association between sound, colour and shape, imbuing it with a vivid edge that, at points, is so profound it even rivals that of the great Wassily Kandinsky. This inherently mesmerising essence has seared many of his works, from the landscape of Going Up Garrowby Hill to the serene Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures), into the collective consciousness, inspiring many to try their hand at visual art.
Given that Hockney’s craft is so varied, the influences behind it have long been the source of discussion for his fans. Then, in 2011, when speaking to The Guardian, he revealed the identity of his all-time favourite painting, Spanish master Pablo Picasso’s 1943 work Mother and Child, First Steps, one of his lesser-known pieces.
Noting the emotional depth the cubist form allowed Picasso to convey in the work, Hockney explained: “Picasso captures a totally universal subject that everybody has experienced and witnessed. Today, thousands of depictions will be made of this subject all over the world, most with a camera: Uncle Charlie teaching little Edna to walk, photographed by mum. But most will not be able to show us what Picasso does. The child, both thrilled and frightened; the anxious mother, whose supple hands clasp the child’s still awkward fingers. Cubism allows him to give us that detail. It is a wonderful, touching work.”
