Prolific pop artist David Hockney opened his new show, Painting and Photography, at Venice Beach’s L.A. Louver gallery last week. The show features dozens of portraits playing with perspective to the point of creating nearly 3-D images.
The 77-year-old British artist debuted Painting and Photography in London earlier this summer, according to The Hollywood Reporter. After taking up residence in Los Angeles again two years ago, it only made sense for a showing in L.A. Known for his pop pieces inspired by Californian life like 1967’s A Bigger Splash, Hockney has experimented with the limits of both painting and photography throughout the past fifty years. His most recent show prior to Painting and Photography for the Royal Academy focused mostly on landscape. But, as Hockney stated in an interview with journalist Jon Snow, “it’s still all about looking,” albeit looking at the intricacies of the human form instead of the nuances of organic plant life.
Hockney’s recent works included in Painting and Photography combine photographs and painting to explore ways of warping perspective. Inverting and playing with perspective gives many of the works a 3-D feel, so much so that it looks from certain angles that other viewers are actually in the paintings!
Hockney mentioned in an interview with ABC that he has no intention of retiring anytime soon. He also stated in another interview that painting makes him “feel [he’s] 30” again. Which is great news for art lovers worldwide–especially those that can make it to Painting and Photography in Venice Beach. The solo exhibition runs until September 19.
Check out The Hollywood Reporter’s profile on Hockney’s new show here!
Want to watch David Hockney’s interview with Jon Snow? The British journalist Jon Snow, not the Game of Thrones character (though the latter would actually be pretty awesome). Check it out here.
