David Hockney: Bigger & Closer (not smaller & further away)

Installation of David Hockney's "The Arrival of Spring in Woldgate, East Yorkshire in 2011 (twenty eleven)." Oil on 32 canvases (36 x 48" each), 144 x 384" overall, © David Hockney. Collection Centre Pompidou, Paris. Musée national d’art moderne – Centre de création industrielle

Are you curious about experiencing David Hockney’s art in a totally new way? Hockney just collaborated with Lightroom on a new show, “David Hockney: Bigger & Closer (not smaller & further away).” Lightroom is a vast, innovative show space that just opened in London. The show will be on until 4th June 2023.

David Hockney and New Technologies

Whoever claims that the older generation cannot keep up with new technologies – think again! David Hockney (85) continues to be one of the most successful contemporary artists: in 2018, his painting Portrait of an Artists (Pool with Two Figures) sold at auction for around $90 million, a record for a living artist at the time. Hockney is loved all over the world for his spare, but bright and vibrant paintings. But the English artist also loves to explore new technologies in his art. He started drawing on his iPhone in 2009, at the age of 72. When Apple launched its first iPad in 2010, Hockney immediately started to experiment on the new device: on the iPhone, he could only draw with his thumb, but on the iPad, he could use a stylus, allowing him to get more details in. Hockney loves the speed of drawing on an iPad: oil paintings take months and a cumbersome set of equipment. With the iPad, he can capture a sunrise while lying in his bed or document the unfolding of the seasons from the comfort of a heated truck: in 2020 (the first year of the Covid pandemic), he ended up drawing 220 iPad paintings celebrating the Normandy countryside.

David Hockey at Lightroom, photo by Justin Sutcliffe.

David Hockney’s Immersive Art Show

Immersive art shows have become very popular in recent years: the use of various technologies and large-scale digital projection is supposed to give visitors the feeling that they are entering the universe of the artist and interacting with it. Some blockbuster immersive art shows have focused on the work of famous artists of the past like Vincent van Gogh, Gustav Klimt, Frida Kahlo.  Of course, we don’t know what these artists would have thought about the way these entertaining shows present their works. But David Hockney could make sure that he approved of the one-hour long show “Bigger & Closer (not smaller & further away)” put on at London’s Lightroom. The show is projected on the four walls and the floor of the venue to a soundtrack by the composer Nico Muhly. Enormous projections of some 250 works alternate with videos. Hockney’s voice can be heard, talking about life and art. His iPad drawings unfold on the gigantic screen as if he was drawing them now, to the sound of birdsong.

First Hand Impressions: Nehemiah Kish, creative producer and former principal dancer of the Royal Ballet

"I loved the Hockney show. I love sensory overload and vibrant, positive art. ‘David Hockney: Bigger & Closer (not smaller & further away)’ at Lightroom is an immersive journey through the visionary artist’s work and creative process, showcasing his mastery of various mediums and techniques. The new score composed by Nico Muhly along with commentary by David Hockey and stunning visuals of his work, all combine to create an incredibly positive sensory experience in the beautifully designed Lightroom theatre. It was particularly special for me to see Hockney’s relationship with dance and the theatre feature so prominently throughout the show."

Lightroom. David Hockney: Bigger & Closer (not smaller & further away)