Friday 10 February 2012

SEEING THE BIGGER PICTURE

On Thursday I was lucky enough to be a guest at the New York Times-hosted special viewing of the Hockney Exhibition, A Bigger Picture at the Royal Academy. In spite of what I had read nothing prepared me for the sheer scale of this show. After 90 minutes wandering peaceably round all 12 rooms of work there was a lasting impression of being in the presence of great and highly contemporary work.

The show was effectly curated by the artist himself, since its conception in 2007. On show there canvases of very English nature: This was Yorkshire that could have been Buckinghamshire or Cambridgeshire. Included where ideas created by watercolours and oils painted on the spot.

Room 12 was my personal favourite with its exciting collection of numerous sketchbooks, his iPad work that is bound to set the heart pounding in terms of how this new medium can be deployed and compelling screen shows of his sketchbook work.

Remarkable.

As I and several hundred other people wandered I caught this transatlantic sound-bite, which for me summerises the experience

“Yes, he had this thing about looking” . . . .

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Thank you very much for your comments - Tim