“We have lost touch with nature, rather foolishly as we are a part of it, not outside it. This will in time be over and then what? What have we learned?… The only real things in life are food and love, in that order, just like (for) our little dog Ruby….and the source of art is love. I love life”
The Paintings
In case you hadn’t heard David Hockney is currently staging another major exhibition at The Royal Academy. ‘The Arrival of Spring, Normandy 2020’. Like all Hockney exhibitions, this was eagerly awaited by many, including me. A Hockney exhibition is always an exciting event.
David Hockney moved to France in the winter of 2019 with the aim of capturing the arrival of spring in the rural landscape of Normandy. Shortly after he arrived, the coronavirus pandemic took hold, and France like much of the rest of the world was in a national lockdown. With nowhere to go or be, this was the perfect opportunity to work uninterrupted, over a few months on the project.
This isn’t the first series of paintings Hockney has had exhibited at the Royal Academy. A Bigger Picture in 2011/12 was a series of scenes from the Yorkshire landscape over the course of a year. A few years later In 2016, 82 Portraits and 1 still life was exhibited. A collection of portraits he had painted at his home in California in 2013. This latest series is perhaps his most poignant because of the circumstances in which they were painted.
The paintings were all executed from February – June 2020, with the bulk of the 116 works painted from March to May. Although they were not intended that way, they have become something of a symbol of the beauty, freedom and reliability of nature during a time when the world was being locked down by an out of control virus.
Hockney painted all of these works en plen air (in the open air). Working like this way seems to have captured the feel of the breath of wind in the trees, or the determined rain drumming down onto a pond. Had he painted the views through a window I suspect they may not have been so ‘alive’.
Every single one of these works were painted on an i-pad. David Hockney has become a master of this medium. For these, he used a new app which was adapted and developed to his specific requirements. He is the ultimate example of age not limiting creativity. It seems he is never afraid to try new things.
The Exhibition
The first word which comes to mind when describing this exhibition is ‘joyful’. The paintings are large and colourful, and grouped together in the large main galleries of The Royal Academy, they are are hugely striking. The moment I walked into the first gallery I smiled.
This is such a celebratory exhibition, and there is something special in each painting. There is of course endless blossom; apple, cherry pear, it all features. But there are also paintings of the super moon, and of a rainy day with rods of rain landing with a splash on surface of his pond. There are views of the 4 acres of landscape in which what he describes as his ‘little seven dwarfs’ house sits.
Seeing the changes of the trees and the landscape captured daily feels very real. The bare branches on the trees in February become filled with luxurious and verdant leaves in April, dripping in candytufts of blossom through to May. Hockney takes you right in to each moment in a truly exuberant way. His work ethic is incredible. Some days he would paint 2-3 paintings in one day.
I wonder how many visitors with Spring birthdays were eagerly trying to find the painting which was made on their birthday. I know I was. There were in fact two paintings on my birthday, one of which was vibrant and yellow. This made me happy!
The paintings are not displayed in chronological order which surprised me, and I’m not quite sure why, but it certainly does not detract from the enjoyment of the exhibition. In fact, it means it does not matter which way you view them. Although I began by working my way around the first gallery from one painting to the next, as I continued, I dotted from one to another in no particular order. Of course there were some that especially drew me. I’m not sure its possible to have a favourite but if it is then mine was number 57, which was painted on 20th April. A tree, exploding like a firework with pink and apricot blossom against a perfect turquoise sky. I remember April 2020 being a particularly tough time in the UK with deaths and infections from Covid both very bad. The fact that this beautiful joyous painting was created in the midst of all that sadness and fear felt especially moving. Another favourite is of a branch of cherry blossom. Hockney shows his sense of humour in this one as he has called it Cheerry blossom.
The pleasure of visiting exhibitions, particularly the big ones which are usually so busy, is that currently they are not busy. Restricted visitor numbers mean plenty of space, and the ability to get very close to the paintings without peering over someone else’s shoulder.
If you can’t get to London to visit the exhibition, then I would highly recommend the book Hockney wrote alongside Martin Gayford. It is a collection of of their conversations, emails and musings on art and life during the spring when these works were being created. It is a thoroughly warm and uplifting read. It is also full of David’s wonderful Spring paintings.
Visiting
The exhibition runs until 26th September at The Royal Academy
Nearest Tube is Piccadilly Circus
You might also be interested in some of my other David Hockney Posts.
