Peter Schlesinger
In 1969, David Hockney was asked by Vogue to do a drawing of Cecil Beaton, David went to stay with Cecil for three days at Reddish...
"To begin with I was utterly appalled, having remained in some romantic but extremely uncomfortable pose for a great deal too long, when I saw an outline in Indian ink of a bloated, squat, beefy businessman. He laughed. No it wasn't very good, and he embarked upon another which turned out to be just as bad"
"About eight horrors were perpetrated while the days advanced until, finally, something rather good emerged".
"It is always fascinating to see someone as remote as oneself working in the same field. I was intrigued to see him admiring things that I like from a completely different point of view. We could not be farther apart as human beings and yet I find myself completely at ease with him and stimulated by his enthusiasm. For he has this golden quality of being able to enjoy life".
"He is never blasé, never takes anything for granted. Life is a delightful wonderland for him; much of the time he is wreathed in smiles. He laughs aloud at television and radio. He is the best possible audience, though by no means simple. He is sophisticated in that he has complete purity. There is nothing pretentious about him; he never says anything he does not mean. In the world of art intrigue he is a complete natural".
"After dinner at Dickie Buckle's, David talked of the coming of the Golden Age. He had read many philosophers and has thought a great deal. In the next forty years all will change. The computer will do away with work; everyone will be an artist".
A recent photograph of David Hockney
Excerts from Cecil Beatons Diary, 1963-74 The Parting Years.
And another great post this week! You are on a roll, Dash :-) Thank you for highlighting David Hockney. I did not know him at all I must confess, and if he managed to get Cecil Beatons to pose for him, well he certainly deserved our attention today... Veronique (French Girl in Seattle)
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ReplyDeleteDavid Hockney, we think, has always, even from his earliest days, been successful as an artist. We put that down to his incredible ability to capture the mood of the times and the main players of those times in his drawings and paintings. Chameleon-like, he has constantly reinvented himself and so his work is always fresh and with a message that is pertinent and, often,profound. The images you show here are delightful.
love his mismatched socks...in those years, that really shows how avante garde he was...the recent pic of him in the turquoise shirt shows his love of color coming out again....cool guy...an artist's artist......
ReplyDeleteWhat a read! David Hockney still looks rather youthful despite his avant-garde lifestyle. x
ReplyDeleteA brilliant post, Dash. I was so disappointed to have missed his ipad show but it just goes to show how he has stuck to his guns. A product of LA if ever there was one...
ReplyDeleteI think I would have preferred a portrait of Hockney by Beaton instead! Love that Peter Schlesinger photo of the two!
ReplyDeleteDavid Hockney is from Bradford - so am I! That is all we have in common I'm afraid. Great photos x
ReplyDeleteDevoted Classicist, I take it your not a Hockney fan, I know he's not to everybody's taste, personally I find his work uplifting, I normally prefer more traditional, classic art but I do make an exception for Hockney. I did try to find a scetch of Hockney by Beaton, I bet there is one somewhere. We will just have to make do with Beatons photographs of him. I love the Peter Schlesinger photo of the two of them, I would also love to speak to Hockney and ask him his impressions of Beaton, it must have been quite daunting for Hockney, sketching one of the most artistically talented figures of the twentieth century, I bet he learnt a lot.
ReplyDeleteMrs P, I did not know you from Bradford, I am from Harrogate originally, not that far away! I can't help but notice you have a picture of an azur sea to go with your moniker, maybe you have more in common with Hockney than you think!
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The photo which is of me as a little dot - all the scrutiny I can bear in a swimsuit, is taken in Bermuda (no where near Bradford) but I maybe have the same expensive taste as David Hockney. Harrogate is lovely, do you get there often? I holiday in St Paul de Vence a couple of times a year is that near you at all?
ReplyDeleteMrs P I get to Harrogate about once a year for a week, not as much as I would like. I am currently based in South West France nowhere near St Paul de Vence, however I do visit that part of France frequently.
ReplyDeleteHeather if by some weird quirk of fate you find yourself in West Yorkshire you should check out Salts Mill in Saltaire. Where a lot of Hockneys best know work is exhibited permanently. His iphone/pad work is there at the moment. I can highly recommend Salts Mill, it's one of my favourite places in the world!
ReplyDeletehere's the link:
http://www.saltsmill.org.uk/
Thanks Dash! I have adored Hockney since my art student days. He has always followed his Muse. His work constantly changes, grows, and is yet always stamped with something uniquely 'Hockey'. He is quite an interesting character. I love the photos you've chosen. Funny, to me, although Hockney spent much time in LA he never seemed to acquire that LA mindset. I think of him as wonderfully British. Thank you again.
ReplyDeleteDavid and Cecil were quite the snappy dressers!! I couldn't help but drool over their outfits - what a lovely tale. Thank you for sharing Dash:)) xo
ReplyDeleteI agree Sharon, Hockney is and will always be as British as they come, at heart he is a Yorkshireman.
ReplyDeletefabulous.........it was my love of Hockney that made me go to art college......I think he justs gets better and better....
ReplyDeleteTalk about a great meeting of minds! Just imagine how fascinating the banter would have been between them as he worked... Would have loved to have been a fly on the wall.
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