DAVID HOCKNEY – TATE BRITAIN
Ever Wondered Why Pencils( and the Datebook) are Always Yellow?
DAVID HOCKNEY – TATE BRITAIN
After the death of Lucian Freud, David Hockney is probably the most significant living British painter. This exhibition illustrates the way he has produced work in all mediums though it also highlights the varying merit of some of it. It will undoubtedly be a crowd-pleaser due to the strength of his reputation and the inclusion of many of his best known paintings.
His large canvasses, set in California in the 1960’ s, are stylish and sybaritic. Its gloriously sun-drenched swimming pools are captured in breathtaking colours. A Bigger Splash, Sunbather and Peter Getting Out of Nick’ s Pool are among his finest and bestknown creations.
His double portraits are fascinating character studies where the relationship between the sitters is often intriguing. Amongst his
Christopher Isherwood and Don Bachardy, 1968, Acrylic paint on canvas, 2120 x 3035 mm, Private collection, © David Hockney.
most famous paintings are My Parents and Mr and Mrs Clark and Percy and these are complemented by works such as Christopher Isherwood and Don Bachardy, Henry Geldzahler and Christopher Scott, and others which give fascinating insights into their relationships.
Much of this exhibition is devoted to his landscapes though the quality of these varies. I much admired some stunning views of the Grand Canyon and a set of evocative drawings which depict the arrival of spring in his native Yorkshire. Recent works showing his garden in Hollywood are less well executed. This is an extroadinary mix which is characterised by his love of the brightest of colours.
Portrait of an Artist( Pool with Two Figures), 1972, Acrylic paint on canvas 2140 x 3048 mm, Lewis Collection, © David Hockney Photo Credit: Art Gallery of New South Wales / Jenni Carter.
His abstract works in oils from the early 1960’ s including his“ love paintings” are early autobiographical works with an overtly gay theme though homosexuality was then illegal. He then turned to figurative work but was forever experimenting as we see with his photographic collages and the works where he uses his ipad. Some of the latter are extremely poor and make an unsatisfactory conclusion to the exhibition. However I much admired his digital videos entitled The Four Seasons, which uses multiple screens to draw us into its alluring settings. It is remarkable that Hockney is still so versatile and this show is an impressive tribute to a unique artist.
Ever Wondered Why Pencils( and the Datebook) are Always Yellow?
Pencils have been painted yellow ever since the late 19th Century, with good reason! During this era, the best graphite in the world came from China. American pencil makers wanted their customers to know that their pencils contained Chinese graphite, so they painted them yellow.
Chinese culture associated the colour yellow with royalty and respect. Thus American manufacturers chose the bright yellow to communicate this“ regal” feeling and link with China. The rest, as they say, is history.
The legend of the yellow pencil inspired much more than just the pencils, however. It’ s also the origin of the
Datebook yellow. The Datebook began as a reference for charities to check which dates were free from fundraising events.
We chose an eye-catching, bright colour to freshen up the publication – and because we were a‘ calendar of events’ bright yellow was the natural choice. The hue was inspired by the bright yellow pencils people historically would have used to write appointments in their datebooks. In those days there were no iPads, laptops or mobile phones with diaries – everyone had a datebook, and everyone had a yellow pencil.
THE LONDON & UK DATEBOOK 29