About David Hockney
(republished
from brain-juice.com)
David Hockney has often been regarded
as a playboy of the art world. He has had lascivious relationships,
and he has run among strange and crazy artistic circles. Yet he has
always retained a sense of stability in his life through his constant
and tireless devotion to his work. Hockney is an artist that has always
enjoyed success and praise, facing little to no hardship in his career.
What is interesting about his life is not the problems he has encountered,
but the strides he has taken to bypass much human suffering and malaise.
David Hockney was born on July 9, 1937, in Bradford, England, to Laura
and Kenneth Hockney. The Hockneys were, as David said, a "'radical
working-class family.'" Laura and Kenneth were solid parents who only
wanted their children to have the best education possible. Laura raised
her children as strict Methodists and resolutely shunned smoking and
drinking in the home. Kenneth was a passionate radical and a conscientious
objector during World War I. David Hockney was always considered an
eccentric in Bradford. He never really cared what people thought of
him and always did as he pleased. He spent afternoons at Sunday School
drawing cartoons of Jesus, much to his teachers' dismay. As a young
child, Hockney also developed an obsession with opera when he first
saw the Carl Rosa opera company's production of La Bohème.
In 1948, David Hockney won a scholarship to the Bradford Grammar School,
one of the best schools in the country. Here he enjoyed his art classes
most and thus decided that he wanted to become an artist. Furthermore,
he disliked the other subjects he was required to study. In 1950,
he asked to be transferred to the Regional College of Art in Bradford
so that he could more seriously pursue his interest. However, the
headmaster recommended that he first finish his general education
before transferring anywhere. Hockney responded with misfit behavior
towards his teachers and poor grades, even though he had found much
success in school before this. He spent his class time doodling in
notebooks. Nonetheless, his artistic leanings also won him prizes
and recognition, and he drew comics for the school newspaper. Overall,
he was a likeable and intelligent student with many friends.
In 1953, Hockney finally enrolled in the College of Art and began
painting with oils, his medium of choice for most of his life. Hockney
learned that painting was a process of seeing and thinking, rather
than one of imitation. His artwork was abstract and quite personal
and allowed him to deal with human sexuality and love in a public,
yet still inhibited manner. He developed a penchant for painting mirrors
and loved the artwork of painters such as Francis Bacon and other
contemporaries. Socially, he made a lot of friends, but never really
expressed any sexual interests. His group of acquaintances would often
travel into London to catch various art shows. In the summer of 1957,
Hockney took the National Diploma in Design Examination. He graduated
with honors and then enrolled in the Painting School of the Royal
College in London two years later, where and when he would gain national
attention as an artist.
Hockney immediately felt at home at the Royal College. There were
no steadfast rules or regulations. Not only did he find much success
and pride in his work, but he also thrived in the many friendships
he made there. He and his friends spent much of their time in the
studio, but they explored the pubs and coffee bars around town as
much as possible. Hockney was a serious student, however, and dedicated
much effort to painting. During his first term, he experimented with
more abstract styles, but he felt unsatisfied with that work, and
he still sought his own style. His professors were good and receptive
to his artwork, but Hockney seemed to learn the most from his fellow
students who shared similar artistic interests and insights. Furthermore,
he was quite a self-motivated sort of person and began to feel a need
for meaningful subject matter, and so Hockney began painting works
about vegetarianism and poetry he liked reading. After a little while,
Hockney even began painting about his sexual orientation, writing
words such as "queer" and 'unorthodox lover" in some of his paintings.
While Hockney had been aware of his attraction to males growing up
in Bradford, he had never felt comfortable talking about his sexual
orientation until he came to the Royal College and befriended other
gay men.
In the summer of 1961, Hockney traveled to New York for the first
time. His friend Mark Berger showed him around all the city's galleries
and museums, while his other friend Ferrill Amacker showed him the
hot gay spots. To pay for the trip, Hockney sold several of his paintings.
He was also able to work on other paintings and sketches while he
was there at the Pratt Institute's facilities. It was from his New
York sketchbooks that Hockney came up with the idea for an updated
version of William Hogarth's "Rake's Progress," which he eventually
finished two years later. Hockney was offered five thousand pounds
for the plates and thus was able to live in America for a year at
the end of 1963. In the mean time, he finished his studies at the
Royal College and received considerable attention from critics, professors,
and peers at several student shows. At this time early on in Hockney's
career, his artwork was poetic and tended to tell stories. He even
wrote poetic ramblings on many of his paintings as well. For a short
time, Hockney was in danger of not receiving his diploma because he
had failed his Art History courses. Nonetheless, he was awarded the
gold medal for outstanding distinction at the convocation and ended
his college career on a tremendously good note.
In New York, Hockney befriended Andy Warhol, at whose studio young
artists often met and socialized. He also met Dennis Hopper that same
night. However, Hockney's main purpose in returning to the States
was not to meet peers, but rather to travel to California. Hockney
had become fascinated with the images of young, built, and tan men
in the publication Physique Pictorial, which he had collected
while in London, and he was hungry to experience the sleazy underground
world of Los Angeles. He immediately loved the city and made Santa
Monica his home. Spending much of his day at Santa Monica pier, Hockney
would just people-watch and admire the beautiful boys that seemed
to be at the beach every day of the year. This new environment greatly
inspired him. In his California paintings, such as Man in Shower
in Beverly Hills (1964), Hockney featured mainly wet, sculpted
men and typically colorful southern California architecture. Overall,
he was enamoured of the more laid-back, sunny lifestyle that the city
of Los Angeles provided. It was around this time that Hockney developed
the naturalistic, realistic style he is most known for today.
In the summer of 1964, Hockney was invited to teach at the University
of Iowa. He was generally bored with this new milieu but was able
to complete four paintings in six weeks there. An old friend from
London Ossie Clark came to America for the first time and visited
Hockney in Iowa. The two traveled across the country a bit, visiting
gay bars. At the same time, Hockney hosted his first American exhibition
in New York. He received rave reviews and sold every painting.
In December of 1964, Hockney returned to London to give a talk on
homosexual imagery in America. A year later, he returned to America
to teach at the University of Colorado in Boulder. There he lived
in an apartment without windows and painted the Rocky Mountains from
his memory. After his term there, Hockney went to California with
some old friends. One night in Hollywood, Hockney met the blond beach
bum of his dreams, "a marvelous work of art, called Bob," and took
him home. The two drove to New York, and Hockney flew Bob out to London,
but soon realized that it was a mistake and sent the boy home.
Two years later, Hockney experienced his first true romance with a
nineteen-year-old student named Peter Schlesinger. Schlesinger was
just about everything Hockney ever wanted in a man. He was attractive,
smart, young, innocent, and in great need of Hockney's guidance. Schlesinger
became a favorite subject of Hockney's, and the many drawings of him
show the informal intimacy of the two. A year later, Schlesinger transferred
to Los Angeles from Santa Cruz and moved into an apartment with Hockney.
During the day, Hockney would paint, but at night the two would often
lie in bed drinking wine and reading. Hockney was very happy. In June
of 1967, Hockney took his new beau to Europe, and the two toured the
continent. At this time, Hockney's interest in photography grew. He
would take endless shots of Schlesinger, mostly for fun, but also
for study.
For many years after that, Hockney remained content painting and showcasing
his work at various exhibits. His work had gained much esteem and
attention all over the world. Critics instantly recognized the power
of his art. Most of his paintings from the late sixties and early
seventies, particularly Mr. and Mrs. Clark and Percy (1970-1971),
adhered to the concept of naturalism -- that is, representing things
as they were actually seen. His interest in photography greatly advanced
his skill in this area, but Hockney felt as though he depended on
it too much from time to time. He liked using the photographs more
for the study of light, rather than to aid his memory. For the most
part, Hockney was concerned with finding a balance between pure skill
and pure art in his idea of naturalism. He did want his art to seem
overtly academic, but moreover, he had not satisfied his abstract
tendencies.
In 1971, Hockney experienced some tension in his relationship with
Schlesinger. The age difference had become a problem, and Schlesinger
wanted some independence and room to grow. Hockney's eye also began
to wander, and his social life became more active once again. He continued
to entertain large groups of people in his studio and basked in the
glory of his fame. Hockney decided to travel to America for a break,
and when he returned, he found out that Schlesinger had moved to Paris
and had been having an affair. Although he was hurt, Hockney was very
relieved. A while later, the two reunited in Barcelona, but once again
had many difficulties. Schlesinger felt that Hockney placed his work
above everything else and felt as though he himself were only an erotic
object to be shown off to others. He decided
never to move back in with Hockney again. Hockney was devastated and
started taking Valium to combat the depression and loneliness he suffered.
In February of 1974, Jack Hazan finished a biographical film on Hockney's
life. At first, Hockney was shocked and devastated by the film, which
had brought many issues that hit too close to home for him. In particular,
he was disturbed by the film's portrayal of his romantic relationship
with Schlesinger. However, after the film had received some attention
and praise, Hockney realized that he had to swallow his pride and
sign for its release in order to give Hazan the respect and admiration
he deserved. The film was banned in many countries for its explicit
portrayal of homosexuality, but won many awards among the critics.
In the eighties, Hockney turned to photo collage. Using a Polaroid
camera, Hockney would assemble collages of photos that he would take
as quickly as possible. Hockney was fascinated with the idea of seeing
things through a window frame. This medium allowed him to see things
in a whole new fashion. He took a drive in the southwest United States
taking thousands of photos and fitting them altogether into various
collages, such as You make the picture, Zion Canyon, Utah.
His artwork also began to take on a psychological dimension. In the
autumn of 1983, Hockney began a series of self-portraits, allowing
the public to enter his personal inner life. It is obvious in these
works that Hockney was quite vulnerable and unsure of himself, even
though he had achieved major success in his life as an artist.
In the nineties, Hockney continued to experiment with rising technologies.
He used a color laser copier in some of his works and reproduced some
of his paintings. Hockney was impressed with the vibrancy of color
that could be achieved using such devices. He also began sending drawings
to friends via fax machines and was thrilled with this new way of
communication. Much of the appeal lay in the fact that these newly
produced images had no financial value at all. Thus sharing art became
a true act of love and appreciation.
Hockney's life and all his loves are always on display to the public.
By embracing all sorts of technology and media, Hockney has made his
art accessible to people everywhere. He has used art to express the
love he has felt for others, and consequently, his works show personal
stake and personal meaning. Ironically, his artwork caused much personal
suffering and strife in the making and breaking of his romances, while
at the same time, garnering him much respect and admiration. Hockney
has truly made art a form of real human interaction and communication.
