David Hockney: Bigger & Closer (not smaller & further away)

Excellent installation at Lightroom exploring the work of David Hockney.

It is an immersive show in a basement where the stunning images are projected onto all four walls and the floor. At first I found the fact there were a lot of other people there distracting but you soon filtered them out and it was actually quite sweet watching children interact with the film.

The best thing was the commentary by Hockney explaining ways of seeing as images unfurled. There as  a wonderful bit explaining different perspectives where this Chinese scroll unwound and you were put into a Canaletto. Also sections on drawing and photography examining closer looking. I was surprised at the parallels between his Poloid collage of people and Freud paintings.

There was a super section on his opera designs where you felt like you were in a theatre and animated figures walk and danced around the room at floor level.

You did feel a little seasick after a while so I would advise changing where you are looking regularly. At one point I was too focused on the end wall and as well as feeling a bit vertigoes I found I was missing other parts of the story.

Closes 4 June 2023


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