The Arrival of Spring in Woldgate, East Yorkshire in 2011 (twenty eleven)
Hockney: Master of Technology, Old and New
David Hockney is widely celebrated as an accomplished draughtsman, but he also recognises the enormous potential to use innovative technologies beyond the traditional artists’ brush. The advent of the instant Polaroid camera in the 1970’s allowed Hockney to explore his ideas of multiple perspectives, and the development of the photocopier and the fax machine opened up new horizons for his interest in print making. Hockney experimented with these technologies within his art, viewing them as tools of his trade: a means to observe, record and disseminate his ideas.
He was also an early advocate of computer based drawing, embracing the potential of the iPad and its drawing Apps. He was taken by the immediacy of the iPad as an artistic tool. It was instantly available and rapid to use. Changes to drawings could be tracked and revisited to inform the creative process. These attributes, together with the ability to produce large scale prints without loss of clarity, enabled Hockney to use the iPad to create ’The Arrival of Spring in Woodgate, East Yorkshire in 2011’. Comprising 51 large iPad drawings, and a large scale oil painting, the project filled the largest gallery at the Royal Academy’s ‘A Bigger Picture’ in 2012, enabling Hockney to document the passage of time through the seasons.
He was also an early advocate of computer based drawing, embracing the potential of the iPad and its drawing Apps. He was taken by the immediacy of the iPad as an artistic tool. It was instantly available and rapid to use. Changes to drawings could be tracked and revisited to inform the creative process. These attributes, together with the ability to produce large scale prints without loss of clarity, enabled Hockney to use the iPad to create ’The Arrival of Spring in Woodgate, East Yorkshire in 2011’. Comprising 51 large iPad drawings, and a large scale oil painting, the project filled the largest gallery at the Royal Academy’s ‘A Bigger Picture’ in 2012, enabling Hockney to document the passage of time through the seasons.