Exhibition by world famous artist David Hockney to come to the MAC
Marking his 80th year, this eagerly anticipated exhibition entitled David Hockney: I draw, I do will focus on the artist’s early work including the famous ‘Paper Pool’ series, alongside work from the current decade, all of which celebrates David Hockney’s interest in drawing.
Hockney is a painter, printmaker, photographer and designer and much like Andy Warhol at the MAC in 2013, this exhibition is another first for Belfast. The MAC presents this Hockney exhibition in advance of the many celebrations that will happen next year.
Hugh Mulholland, senior curator at the MAC said: “We are delighted to be presenting the first significant exhibition of David Hockney’s work in Ireland to date. The exhibition focusses on Hockney’s formative years at Bradford Regional College of Art in the 1950s and will include rarely seen anatomical and observational drawings, early graphite portraits as well as significant later works which demonstrate Hockney’s continued interest in pushing the boundaries of his practice using new technologies.
“We are very pleased to be able to show a series of his iPad portraits of family and friends as well as some of his well-known works from The Arrival of Spring, 2011, which many visitors may recognise. At the core of all of this work is Hockney’s commitment to the critical importance of the act of drawing and how the early training at art school is drawn on throughout one's creative life”.
Noirin McKinney, Director of Arts Development, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, commented: “David Hockney is considered one of the most influential British artists of the 20th century and an important artist within the 1960s Pop art movement. The Arts Council is delighted to support the MAC in bringing this exciting, significant art exhibition to thousands of our citizens and will inspire many more people to come visit Belfast.”
The MAC chose the title of the exhibition from an answer Hockney gave to a question asked of him by designer Paul Smith. Do you still draw in the more traditional way, in the way you first did when you left the Royal College?
“Yeah, I draw, I do. ...From the age of 16 to the age of 20, all I did was really draw, because I was at the art school in Bradford and in Bradford you could be in the school from nine in the morning to nine at night... So I drew for four years. I don’t know what art schools are like now, but I’m told they don’t do drawing. That seems a bit mad to me that. Drawing is going to be needed in the future.”
The exhibition opens on 19 August at the MAC and is free to visit.
For any press enquiries please email Maeve Hawkins.
Image credit:
David Hockney. Photo by Jane Bown, Observer.
© Guardian News & Media Ltd 2016
