David Hockney forever: So much more than beautiful art – gifts to the world

World -renowned artists who consistently occupy the top spots in a wide variety of national and international rankings differ primarily in one aspect from artists who “simply make good art” .

They are not only inspired themselves, but they also inspire their contemporaries and future generations with what reaches the public through their work; beyond the actual, physical art itself. David Hockney ; he leaves us a multifaceted and stimulating package:

David Hockney discovered and used his talents

David Hockney shows people around the world who have plans for their lives how an ordinary person can use everything a modern social democracy offers its citizens to their advantage: As the child of ordinary working parents, he managed to be accepted into England's most prestigious art college .

Attending the Royal College of Art in London back then was probably no walk in the park, because there were undoubtedly narrow-minded fellow students from the upper class who couldn't make much sense of ordinary people like Hockney. But Hockney found his own circle, a group of freethinking students with (international) experience.

David Hockney was able to develop his life plan under two favorable conditions that were not available to everyone then or now: He was able to try things out and discover his talents (and he found a great talent, which doesn't make things any easier; more paths are open to people of average ability with several, less pronounced talents).

Talent identification from early childhood can only succeed if parents pave the way (which does not mean that the child is crammed full of knowledge in 25 pre-school courses by inadequately paid educators, but that the child is given the opportunity for self-determined discovery and answers to many questions, a task that is not easy for parents to manage in our social system).

David Hockney was lucky with his parents: both were ordinary working-class people, yet different in that crucial way. David Hockney's father, Kenneth, worked first as an accountant and then as the head of his own accounting firm, while his mother, Laura, was a saleswoman, for example at the London Rubber Company, until raising their five children, born between 1931 and 1939, more than kept her busy enough.

But his father, Kenneth Hockney, was also a talented amateur artist who recognized and nurtured his son's artistic gifts. And he was committed to the world he lived in – social campaigns and critical letters to Stalin or other threatening figures were always more important to him than the daily grind of housework.

Mother Laura effortlessly took care of the household chores on the side; she was more interested in familiarizing her children with the basics of a successful life and supporting them in making life's important decisions. Here, too, the composed Methodist acted with a calm, laissez-faire attitude and that generosity of spirit which neither restricts nor imposes anything on others; the strict vegetarian, for example, was always happy to prepare meat dishes for the rest of the family.

So, no one in the Hockney family objected to little David dawdling through town with his art supplies in his stroller; all five young Hockneys set themselves ambitious goals even in elementary school; all five children received scholarships to attend grammar school. Raising children with respect is courageous and certainly not always easy, but the Hockneys' success proved them right

His son David soon made international headlines ; his older brother Paul founded his own accounting company (and took over David's accounting), became a city councillor for the Liberal Democrats in Bradford's suburb of Idle and then mayor of Bradford.

Brothers John and Philip emigrated to Australia and made careers there, one as a graphic designer and exhibition designer, the other in the production of large trucks (today three factories). Their sister, Margaret, worked as a nurse in the most remote parts of the world before returning to Yorkshire to establish her own naturopathic medicine clinic in Bridlington. Laura Hockney also moved there after her husband Kenneth died in 1978.

Throughout his life, David Hockney maintained close contact with his family , visiting them in the Old World and frequently hosting his parents in California. Laura Hockney became the inspiration for many of his paintings; even in her later years and confined to a wheelchair, she attended most of her famous son's gatherings and got along well with his sometimes rather unconventional friends. David Hockney often visited Bridlington; a series of wonderful pastels of the heathland surrounding the seaside resort are among the finest paintings of his later work. He was with his mother when she passed away in May 1999 at the age of 98.

Those who have to develop their talents without a friendly push certainly have a harder time, but can get some of that friendly push from the older David Hockney: David Hockney persevered throughout his life, always non-violently, always charming and cheerful. He simply did his own thing, without worrying too much about what any critics thought

“I paint what I want, when I want, and where I want.”

is a truly typical Hockney quote.

The average person may need a very long time before they can say: “I work what I want, when I want, and where I want.” People of the older generation often only reach this stage of freedom upon retirement, and the critics are frequently frustrated teachers and overworked civil servants, whose resistance requires a great deal of friendly audacity à la Hockney to overcome…

But David Hockney hasn't exactly been treated with kid gloves by serious critics of serious art either: his work is considered too shallow, his lifestyle too cheerful, his paintings too beautiful and colorful (and he's still frequently and stubbornly classified as a Pop Art artist , which he isn't and never was). So it's never easy, but striving for meaning in life is worthwhile.

David Hockney used his time wisely

Hockney is described as hardworking. He certainly was, but definitely not excessively so. He is said to have created around 2,000 paintings, albeit in the not inconsiderable period from 1961 to the present day. Approximately 2,000 paintings in 58 years equates to roughly three paintings per month. Even including all his other activities, from set design to book research, this provides ample time to truly complete each painting and still find the energy for new ideas.

A given? Perhaps for artists, and also for many other people in creative professions. Yet many parents still forbid their children from pursuing such careers because they are associated with too much uncertainty… while all other professions are also becoming increasingly insecure.

The already alarmingly large number of people who perform meaningless work in dependent relationships without any opportunity for personal growth is currently increasing dramatically. The number of people who earn just enough to survive, or not even that, in such debilitating and narrow-minded working conditions is also growing.

With every shipment of goods by traders and freight forwarders who couldn't care less about taxes and the basic needs of their employees, a few more people are forced into precarious employment; with every holiday apartment that is illegally rented out, the chance of finding affordable housing decreases for a few apartment seekers, and hotel employees lose their jobs; with every hospital and nursing home that focuses on satisfying shareholders rather than keeping the elderly and sick healthy and well, a few more people who work for the community are worn out (and others are consequently deprived of the ability to shape their own lives).

And of course, the individual bears the responsibility—who else would? The state only dictates everything in a dictatorship (and even then, experience shows, not for the benefit of all citizens). In fact, the individual citizen can achieve the most, much faster and more directly than a politician (who, in a constitutional democracy, must consider all interests when introducing new rules for everyone): They can simply stop ordering from companies that don't pay taxes and exploit delivery drivers, they can ask their vacation rental owner to show them their registration, and they can become politically active in advocating for humane medicine; they could even do all this before the downward spiral engulfs them as well.

David Hockney is an example of what a diligent and hardworking person could achieve before this downward spiral began, and thus he also serves as a reminder of the need for greater commitment against exploitation, neglect, and any narrow-minded tendencies.

Creative minds could take inspiration from David Hockney to pursue promising ideas with perseverance – even if it doesn't always result in $90 million (more on that below), sensible ideas very often do eventually prevail. Until then, these ideas grow; with very progressive ideas, time simply has to grow alongside them… Those eager to develop who haven't yet found their path or been able to establish themselves can learn from David Hockney's curiosity and constant learning – something Hockney, like all great artists, did.

Anyone striving for personal development today, and who has to start under less favorable conditions than David Hockney, has a significant advantage: if they have learned to circumvent commercially/ideologically motivated disinformation, they can access the knowledge of humanity on the internet. Avoiding the nonsense piled up before knowledge is certainly not easy, and here too, David Hockney is a good role model, as he never allowed himself to be limited to mainstream sources of information

David Hockney draws on the knowledge of his time, from the past to the latest developments

David Hockney drew upon all the knowledge available in his time. He didn't content himself with simply reading the opinions of his more or less educated contemporaries in the media of his country. For him, the past was alive and instructive, and he himself delved into old works and sources.

Inspiration from ancient Greek poetry

One result was a series of etchings about the Greek poet Konstantinos Cavafy and his poetry. Konstantinos Petrou Cavafy , one of the greatest Greek poets of the modern era, lived primarily in the Egyptian port city of Alexandria from 1863 to 1933. Hockney had discovered Cavafy during his studies and was captivated by the clear, unpretentious way in which Cavafy wrote about homosexuality . Konstantinos Cavafy not only dedicated much beautiful poetry to his late-discovered homosexuality, but also left behind many poetic statements, some of which remain surprisingly relevant today.

But the Wise Perceive Things about to Happen

Ordinary people know what's happening now, the gods know future things because they alone are totally enlightened.

Of what's to come the wise perceive things about to happen.

Sometimes during moments of intense study their hearing's troubled: the hidden sound of things approaching them,

and they listen reverently, while in the street outside the people hear nothing whatsoever.”

In German language:

But the wise perceive things that will happen

Ordinary people notice what is happening now; the gods know what the future holds because they alone are fully enlightened.

The wise can sense what is to come and what will happen.

Sometimes, in moments of intense study, her hearing is disturbed: the hidden sound of emerging things reaches her,

and they listen in awe, while the people outside in the streets hear absolutely nothing.”

(English translation quoted from: www.cavafy.com/poems/ , German translation by the author of this article).

Cavafy, in turn, did not invent his sense of the zeitgeist, but was inspired by the “ancient Greeks” , in this case by the sophist Philostratus (165/170 to 244/249) and his biography of the Greek philosopher Apollonius of Tyana :

For the gods perceive future things, ordinary people things in the present, but the wise perceive things about to happen.”

(Philostratos, Life of Apollonios of Tyana viii, 7, www.cavafy.com/poems/ ).

Since language-minded Germans inevitably associate Cavafy with a tweeted "Covfefe", here is a brief detour to clarify this riddle: "Despite the constant negative press covfefe" was tweeted by the US President on May 31, 2017, and he probably meant "negative press coverage" (one of his most frequent tweet phrases).

Democratic Congressman Mike Quigley wanted to ensure that this and other tweets were preserved for later legal review and used this opportunity to initiate “Communications Over Various Feeds Electronically for Engagement” “communications over various electronic channels in the performance of official duties” (or the dissemination of falsehoods, as engagement can also be translated), was introduced to the House of Representatives in June 2017 during the 115th session of the U.S. Congress under the name COVFEFE Act.

On December 6, 2017, the bill was referred to the House Committee on Supervision and Government Reform (www.congress.gov/member/betty-mccollum/M001143?page=3) and is to be decided as part of the “For the People Act” which Quigley introduced to the 116th Congress in January 2019.

It is worth reading this reform package at quigley.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/quigley-legislation-included-hr-1-people-act-reform-package , which aims to “restore the promise of US democracy and end the culture of corruption in Washington .” The proposed regulations—to secure digital voting systems by involving independent cybersecurity experts, create a publicly accessible central database for documents submitted to Congress, introduce accountability to hold elected officials and the government accountable if necessary, combat climate change, build an economy that works for all Americans, reduce the cost of prescription drugs, strengthen ethics laws to ensure that public officials act in the public interest, etc.—foster the hope that the US will not collapse under its current incompetent leadership.

There is also news about the president: The first media outlets, such as redgreenandblue.org/2019/01/31/covfefe-smoking-gun-global-waming-can-trump-even-read-write/ , are seriously questioning whether he can even read and write properly, given the flood of errors tweeted.

Intensive studies of the Old Masters

David Hockney was also gripped by a deep urge: to explore how artists of past eras managed to depict the world around them so precisely and vividly. For two years, he devoted himself intensively to this fascinating pursuit, passionately researching the hidden secrets of the Old Masters .

In a 2003 BBC film , Hockney impressively demonstrates how artists used simple cameras to create realistic images four centuries before the invention of photography. Together with us, Hockney travels to Florence, Bruges, and Ghent, as well as to a specially constructed set in Hollywood, to vividly illustrate his findings.

For the first time, Hockney tells the moving story of his search and its development. Step by step, he explains how he discovered scientific and visual evidence, each revealing new insights into the past. With his unique artistic eye, he analyzes significant works of art history and unveils the fascinating truth about how masters such as Caravaggio , Velázquez , van Eyck , Holbein , Leonardo , and Ingres used mirrors and lenses to create their timeless masterpieces.

A particularly revealing comparison arises between Jan van Eyck's "Ghent Altarpiece" (1432) and Hockney's own work "Pearblossom Highway" (1986). It demonstrates that multiple perspectives (many, many windows) on a two-dimensional surface create a similar distancing effect as a bird's-eye view, yet are surprisingly contradictory in detail. Hockney's impressive photo collage "Pearblossom Highway" is composed of approximately 750 individual chromogenic prints.

Historical evidence shows that van Eyck made numerous drawings of various elements in order to construct his entire painting from these details. Furthermore, Hockney vividly demonstrates how Brunelleschi—the first architect to use mathematical perspective to redefine Gothic and Romanesque space—used a mirror to create a perspective rendering of the Baptistery of San Giovanni, a painting that astonished Florence around 1412.

Hockney's captivating journey of exploration invites the viewer to appreciate the complexity and mastery in art history and inspires them to delve further into these fascinating topics.

A look at the latest developments

Returning to David Hockney, who not only drew on the past but also consistently embraced the latest developments, he began painting with acrylics as soon as they became available. These new, surprisingly vibrant colors undoubtedly contributed to the mainstream popularity of Hockney's paintings.

This has earned Hockney the accusation from some critics that he kitsch … however, if one can even define art and kitsch (which many sensible people reject for good reason), the reprehensible thing about kitsch, according to all common definitions, is that inferior work, which evokes no emotion in the viewer, is sold for an exorbitant price.

Exorbitant prices are now being demanded for some of David Hockney's art, and the question of whether these speculative objects and/or status symbols, shifted auctions definition of art is certainly justified. But this is not the artist's doing; under current law, he cannot prevent the instrumentalization of his art.

Adapting the law or increasing taxes on sellers/auction houses would be a matter for legislators; but it would certainly not be the most tactically astute move to also target the toys of savvy millionaires, when the enforcement of many more important community regulations on banking regulation, tax evasion, etc., already takes forever in times of rising nationalism.

Ordinary people can buy David Hockney art as posters, acquire it for a few dollars with the New Yorker (cover, www.newyorker.com/magazine/2011/06/13 ), and view it in public museum collections in many countries for little money or even for free. They can also carry a small Hockney gallery with them at all times, as Hockney quickly and effectively embraced new media: 92 iPad drawings www.davidhockney.co/index.php/works/digital/ipad , conveniently arranged for browsing. Anyone who has seen them for the first time will have no doubt that David Hockney art, not kitsch .

Hockney's gift to all people interested in life and learning

Furthermore, all those interested in life can take from David Hockney the suggestion to make use of available knowledge. While Hockney had to travel to a library for every incomprehensible term (thus ultimately only being able to afford comprehensive further education because of his early prominent position), today we can look things up on Wikipedia and similar websites…

Hockney's parents also taught him to use his own intellect, to select and examine sources, to question, and to learn. Even today, not all parents are able to do this; schools, universities, and other forms of support are increasingly failing in a system geared toward senseless competition, releasing anxious, learning-averse individuals into adulthood. Until the already noticeable counter-trends take hold, all these people are left to their own devices, with uncertainty in selecting sources and unpleasant learning experiences often hindering their initiative.

Reducing educational barriers for adults is also the task of the media; that they fail miserably in this regard is evident from a glance at daily newspapers and television listings. Both, however, are adept at indulging in kitsch, in its worst, most mendacious, unrealistic, and disrespectful excesses: reports about royals and celebrities and docu-soaps in the (public) early evening programming; effusions from a long-dormant Rosamunde Pilcher who died on February 6, 2019, at the age of 94), now written by a non-existent Inga Lindström, during prime time…

The internet also offers resources on how to learn and which sources to trust. For example, here: www.gerald-huether.de and here: kurier.at/wissen/lernen-lernen-hirnforscher-sandkuehler-erklaert-wie-es-geht/400347568 . At www.bpb.de – the official website of the Federal Agency for Civic Education – you can find numerous new pedagogical approaches to our education system, plus a wealth of up-to-date research.

This is precisely where the issue of sources begins: If you "learn how to learn" , you'll first see pages of ads or websites that want to teach people how to learn, usually for a very large sum of money. Then come pages of free offers – from the schools and universities that, in the past, extinguished the enthusiasm for learning in many adults who are now eager to learn again.

Neurobiologist Hühter, who has long been committed to a completely new direction for our (education) system, would probably warn: As someone willing to learn, avoid any website that already mentions “more efficiency”, “learning work”, “performance improvement” in its subtitle; it could prove to be counterproductive.

Hidden among the many search results are some encouraging articles, such as these two published shortly after the 2000 PISA disaster: Wissen.de (Konradin Media Group, the largest provider of specialist information in the German-speaking world) presents an OECD study entitled “Learning How to Learn” , according to which motivation, self-confidence, effective learning strategies and students' attitudes towards learning have a major influence on learning success ( www.wissen.de/das-lernen-lernen-eine-studie-der-oecd ).

Or the article in the business magazine brand eins , which presents ideas on how students from the land of poets, thinkers and Nobel laureates, who are languishing in 20th place+ in the PISA study in math, science and reading, should catch up again ( www.brandeins.de/corporate-publishing/mck-wissen/mck-wissen-bildung/lernen-lernen ).

However, brand eins, which according to the Goethe-Institut is dedicated to exploring the human side of economics, presents a restructuring concept from the management consultancy McKinsey & Company, one of the world's leading drivers of economic performance, due to a lack of alternative approaches. Sentences like, "Everyone knows that Finns, Japanese, or—in relation to universities—Americans have a better education system than we do. But who really knows why?" , was still removed from the "human side of economics."

We now understand why the Finns and Japanese have better education systems. In Finland, teachers are valued, who in turn treat their students respectfully and give them the greatest possible freedom to discover learning on their own; in Japan, Confucian reverence for education , appreciation of collaborative learning without grade repetition, and space for innovative development (still) work well together with increasing performance pressure in schools.

The Americans have now slipped to 31st place in the PISA study; university students are failing en masse under absurdly high student loans or simply leaving the country because research is being increasingly restricted; and effective learning strategies demonstrably only have a significant impact on learning success if they are developed by the student themselves for a subject they actually want to learn…

Konstantin Cavafy also had something to say about this back in 1922:

As Much As You Can

And if you can't shape your life the way you want, at least try as much as you can - not to degrade it by too much contact with the world, by too much activity and talk.

Try not to degrade it by dragging it along, taking it around and exposing it so often to the daily silliness of social events and parties, until it comes to seem a boring hanger-on.”

In German language:

And if you can't shape your life the way you want, at least try as much as you can not to make it even poorer through too much contact with the world, too much activism and blah blah

Make every effort not to diminish it through hesitant action, by going in circles and exposing it so often to the daily stupidity of events and parties that you come across as a boring parasite.

(English translation quoted from: www.cavafy.com/poems/content.asp?id=113&cat=1 , German translation by the author of this article).

The world is beautiful

In this short and captivating video, the outstanding British artist shares his profound insights into seeing and painting – a passion that has accompanied him for over 60 years. He unfolds a story that encourages reflection About us present time.

"The world is incredibly beautiful when you truly look at it. But many people only see superficially. They scan the ground in front of them to navigate, but they don't perceive things with the necessary attention. I, on the other hand, do, and I've always been aware of it."

In March 2020, Hockney responded to the coronavirus outbreak with his iPad drawing “Do Remember They Can't Cancel the Spring” (2020).

In this video, he recounts a remarkable incident: A philosopher was asked on a news program how one could remain optimistic in the face of negative news. His reply was: "Well, that's television. Bad news sells." When the reporter asked for the positive news, the philosopher replied with a slight smile: "Well, spring is coming." Hockney laughs as he shares this anecdote.

His respectful treatment of nature and his ability to show us the beauty of life invite us to pause and fully experience the world around us.

Take this opportunity to learn more about Hockney's fascinating perspective and be inspired by his art – perhaps at an upcoming exhibition or through further reading about his impressive works.