19 Aprile 2017
È un anno importante il 2017 per David Hockney. Mezzo secolo dopo il suo iconico dipinto The Bigger Splash (1967), che rivoluzionò la relazione tra tempo e spazio pittorico con un tuffo in piscina, l’artista britannico celebra i suoi ottant’anni (è nato il 9 luglio 1937) con una straordinaria mostra alla Tate Britain di Londra, che si sposterà poi al Centre Pompidou di Parigi e al Metropolitan Museum di New York. Prolifico quanto trasgressivo, Hockney irrompe nella scena artistica ancora studente sfidando i canoni della figurazione: reinventa il pop, abbraccia temi scomodi come l’omosessualità negli anni Sessanta, e impone un’inedita formula alla griglia prospettica di stampo rinascimentale. La mostra è cronologica, e offre pittura, disegno, fotografia e video: supporti dove la realtà è appiattita su una superficie astratta, vivace e stilizzata. Con un serbatoio visivo di oggetti del quotidiano, ambienti domestici, donne e uomini, Hockney racconta il secondo dopoguerra delle due maggiori potenze occidentali – Inghilterra e America – tra consumismo, frivolezze, aspirazioni, capitale e media. Una ricerca che negli anni ha abbracciato anche la scrittura, sfociando in pubblicazioni di stampo divulgativo come Una storia delle immagini, uscita da poco in Italia per i tipi di Einaudi. Compilata e condivisa con il critico d’arte Martin Gayford, la storia di Hockney è trasversale, quasi eretica, va dai disegni preistorici delle grotte di Lascaux alle icone virtuali di un iPad, supera i confini tradizionali tra cultura alta e bassa, e individua relazioni inedite tra epoche, luoghi e tecniche espressive differenti, dando vita a una caleidoscopica rappresentazione del mondo.
David Hockney
A cura di Chris Stephens e Andrew Wilson
Tate Britain, Londra
9 febbraio – 29 maggio 2017
![David Hockney, Hollywood Hills House, 1980. Collection Walker Art Center, Minneapolis. © David Hockney.](http://www.klatmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Hollywood_Hills_House_1980-710x350.jpg)
David Hockney, Hollywood Hills House, 1980. Collection Walker Art Center, Minneapolis. © David Hockney.
![David Hockney, Woldgate Woods, 6 & 9 November 2006, 2006. David Hockney Inc. (Los Angeles, USA). © David Hockney.
Foto: Richard Schmidt.](http://www.klatmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Woldgate_Woods_6__9_November_2006-710x359.jpg)
David Hockney, Woldgate Woods, 6 & 9 November 2006, 2006. David Hockney Inc. (Los Angeles, USA). © David Hockney. Foto: Richard Schmidt.
![David Hockney Mr and Mrs Clark and Percy, 1970-71. Presented by the Friends of the Tate Gallery, 1971. © David Hockney.](http://www.klatmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Mr_and_Mrs-_Clark_and_Percy-710x496.jpg)
David Hockney, Mr and Mrs Clark and Percy, 1970-71. Presented by the Friends of the Tate Gallery, 1971. © David Hockney.
![David Hockney, Christopher Isherwood and Don Bachardy, 1968. Private collection. © David Hockney.](http://www.klatmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Christopher_Isherwood_and_Don_Bachardy_1968-710x496.jpg)
David Hockney, Christopher Isherwood and Don Bachardy, 1968. Private collection. © David Hockney.
![David Hockney, Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures), 1972.](http://www.klatmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Portrait_of_an_Artist_Pool_with_Two_Figures_1972-710x502.jpg)
David Hockney, Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures), 1972. Lewis Collection. © David Hockney. Foto: Art Gallery of New South Wales / Jenni Carter.
![David Hockney, Garden 2015. © David Hockney Foto: Richard Schmidt.](http://www.klatmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Garden_2015-710x473.jpg)
David Hockney, Garden, 2015. © David Hockney. Foto: Richard Schmidt.
![David Hockney, Garden with Blue Terrace
, 2015.
Private collection.
© David Hockney.](http://www.klatmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Garden_with_Blue_Terrace_2015-710x471.jpg)
David Hockney, Garden with Blue Terrace , 2015. Private collection. © David Hockney.
![David Hockney, Pearblossom Hwy., 11-18th April 1986 #1,
1986.
The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles
. © David Hockney.](http://www.klatmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Pearlblossom_Highway_1986-710x521.jpg)
David Hockney, Pearblossom Hwy., 11-18th April 1986 #1, 1986. The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles . © David Hockney.
![David Hockney, Model with Unfinished Self Portrait, 1977. Private collection c/o Eykyn Maclean. © David Hockney.](http://www.klatmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Model_with_Unfinished_Self_Portrait_1977-710x710.jpg)
David Hockney, Model with Unfinished Self Portrait, 1977. Private collection c/o Eykyn Maclean. © David Hockney.
![David Hockney, Play Within a Play,
1963.
Private collection c/o Connery & Associates.
© David Hockney.](http://www.klatmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/A_Play_Within_a_Play-710x657.jpg)
David Hockney, Play Within a Play, 1963. Private collection c/o Connery & Associates. © David Hockney.
![David Hockney, Peter Getting Out of Nick's Pool, 1966. National Museums Liverpool, Walker Art Gallery. © David Hockney
. Foto: Richard Schmidt.](http://www.klatmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Peter_Getting_Out_of_Nicks_Pool-710x710.jpg)
David Hockney, Peter Getting Out of Nick’s Pool, 1966. National Museums Liverpool, Walker Art Gallery. © David Hockney . Foto: Richard Schmidt.
![David Hockney, A Lawn Being Sprinkled, 1967.](http://www.klatmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/A_Lawn_Being_Sprinkled-710x712.jpg)
David Hockney, A Lawn Being Sprinkled, 1967. Lear Family Collection. © David Hockney. Foto: Richard Schmidt.
![David Hockney, A Bigger Splash, 1967. Tate. Purchased 1981. © David Hockney.](http://www.klatmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/A_Bigger_Splash-710x700.jpg)
David Hockney, A Bigger Splash, 1967. Tate. Purchased 1981. © David Hockney.
![David Hockney, Domestic Scene, Los Angeles 1963. Private collection
. © David Hockney.](http://www.klatmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Domestic_Scene_Los_Angeles_1963-710x715.jpg)
David Hockney, Domestic Scene, Los Angeles, 1963. Private collection . © David Hockney.
![David Hockney, Ossie Wearing a Fairisle Sweater, 1970. Private collection, London. © David Hockney.](http://www.klatmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Ossie_Clark-710x860.jpg)
David Hockney, Ossie Wearing a Fairisle Sweater, 1970. Private collection, London. © David Hockney.