First gaining attention in the 1960s with his exuberant portraits and landscapes, David Hockney remains one of the most celebrated British artists of his generation. He is also a key contributor to the development of art in Los Angeles, one of his adopted homes. Drawing upon the Walker Art Center’s deep holdings of Hockney’s work, this exhibition presents a broad selection of the artist’s prints, paintings, drawings, and recent digital works.
For more than six decades, Hockney has engaged with subjects chronicling the world around him, which appear in his art with loving attention to detail, exceptional draftsmanship, and a passion for bold color. This exhibition includes portraits of the artist’s close friends and family; a selection of domestic scenes, from delicate still lifes to vividly hued interiors; and a range of landscapes depicting views from the Hollywood Hills to Mexico to the English countryside.
A special section of the exhibition highlights Hockney’s engagement with literature and the theater. Designing sets for stage and opera productions has long been an important part of his artistic activity and was the focus of the 1983 Walker exhibition Hockney Paints the Stage. An ambitious set design presented then will be on view for the first time in nearly 40 years.
Curated by Siri Engberg, senior curator and director, Visual Arts.
