David Hockney: Seeing differently

David Hockney has been making pictures for more than sixty years, and his work has changed quite a bit over that time. He has painted people, places and interiors, worked with photography and video, and embraced digital technology as it has developed. His approach to colour and perspective is particularly distinctive.

Before the session
Watch or listen to one or two documentaries or interviews with Hockney. There are programmes available from the BBC, Sky Arts and elsewhere. It’s worth hearing him talk about his work in his own words.
Please also choose a Hockney picture that you particularly like and bring it along, either as a print or on your phone/tablet.

On the evening
We’ll start by looking at the pictures people have chosen and talking about why they appealed to us.
We can then look at some of the things that come up repeatedly in Hockney’s work, for example his use of colour, his approach to perspective, the places he paints, and his willingness to experiment with different forms and technology.
The documentaries and interviews may give us some useful insights into how he works and how he thinks about looking at the world.
Some questions we might explore:

• Why did you choose your particular picture?
• What was the first thing you noticed about it, the colour, the subject, the way it is composed, or something else?
• Does knowing more about Hockney change the way you look at the picture?
• What do you make of his approach to perspective?
• Do any of his pictures remind you of a place or experience?
• How do you feel about his use of photography, iPad drawing and video?
• Is there a period of Hockney’s work that you prefer, and why?

Photo is a Low resolution, fair use image of ''A Bigger Grand Canyon'', 1998. Oil on 60 canvasses, by David Hockney