David Hockney, one of Britain’s most influential contemporary artists, has captivated audiences for over six decades with his vibrant colour palette, innovative technique and distinctive visual language. In his extensive career, he has explored painting, photography, collage and even digital art on iPhone and iPad, always challenging the boundaries of traditional perspectives.
From 23 November 2024, the Palm Springs Art Museum will be showing almost 200 works by this visionary artist in the exhibition ‘David Hockney: Perspective Should Be Reversed’. The show, which runs until 31 March 2025, offers insights into Hockneys quest to capture the world from new perspectives while emphasising his personal identity. The title of the exhibition itself refers to his concept of rethinking and questioning perspectives and points of view.
The exhibited works include his famous pool scenes, which capture the sunny, hedonistic California of the 1960s in vivid colours and reposition the role of the viewer through unusual angles. At the same time, the retrospective draws attention to Hockney’s lesser-known works, which show how he deconstructs the representation of space and movement, thereby developing his very own understanding of space and depth.
Digital Art
Another central aspect of the exhibition is Hockneys pioneering work in the field of digital art. His iPad and iPhone drawings, which he created from the 2000s onwards, testify to his unwavering interest in new media and his curiosity about how technology and art can be combined. The exhibition emphasises how the artist used the quickly accessible technology to capture spontaneous impressions in real time – a play with speed and directness that illustrates his love of experimentation well into old age.
Perspectives
With a focus on Hockney’s experiments with perspective, ‘Perspective Should Be Reversed’ also shows how Hockney expressed his identity as a gay man in an era when LGBTQ+ rights were still severely restricted. His works not only have an artistic dimension, but also a deeply personal one, characterised by intimate portraits and subtle allusions to his own life.
In all its facets
Visitors to the exhibition will have the opportunity to experience Hockney’s work in all its facets – from iconic paintings and his famous collages to digital works that prove that art and technology form a fascinating interplay for him. „David Hockney: Perspective Should Be Reversinvites you to discover an artist who continually reinvented himself, uncovering deeper truths about identity, space and human perception.