David Hockney: 82 Portraits and 1 Still-life

In 82 Portraits and 1 Still-life, David Hockney offers a vibrant and intimate view of people with whom he has developed relationships over the past 50 years. The majority of the portraits were painted in Hockney’s Los Angeles studio, all from life and over a period of two or three days, which the artist has described as “a 20-hour exposure.” 

None of Hockney’s portraits are commissioned; for this series he invited family, members of his staff, and close friends to sit for him—including several curators, art dealers, and collectors with local and international renown. John Baldessari, Douglas Baxter, Edith Devaney, Larry Gagosian, Frank Gehry, Peter Goulds, Barry Humphries, David Juda, Rita Pynoos, Joan Quinn, Norman Rosenthal, Jacob Rothschild, and Benedikt Taschen are among those portrayed, as well as LACMA’s Stephanie Barron and Dagny Corcoran. 

This exhibition originated at the Royal Academy of Arts in London, and has traveled to Melbourne, Venice, and Bilbao. LACMA hosts the only United States presentation.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website

Image: David Hockney, Barry Humphries, 26th, 27th, 28th March 2015 from 82 Portraits and 1 Still-life, 2015, collection of the artist, © David Hockney, photo by Richard Schmidt

Whether you see the exhibition or not, the catalogue, David Hockney: 82 Portraits and 1 Still-life, looks exclusively at this series of portraits that David Hockney, one of the most famous artists in the world, has been painting recently. In 2012, Hockney returned to California, where he had lived and worked for long periods. There followed a series of painted portraits, the subjects of which ranged from studio assistants and office staff to family, friends, and long-term acquaintances. Also included are a number of fellow artists, curators, and gallerists, including John Baldessari and Larry Gagosian. 

Reproduced in stunning colorplates the paintings are shown alongside revealing images of the works in various stages of development, which provide an exciting insight into Hockney’s painterly process. The book is introduced with two important new texts. This vivid series of portraits, executed in bold acrylics, observant and full of life, marks Hockney’s vibrant return to Technicolor form.

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