David Hockney

The Arrival of Spring in Woldgate, East Yorkshire, 5^th March 2011 exemplifies Hockney's sensitivity to the early stirrings of spring. Though the trees remain largely bare, he introduces buds of white to signify snowdrops or white tulips on the grassy verge beside the road, as the only indications that spring is well on its way. Elsewhere, in The Arrival of Spring in Woldgate, East Yorkshire, 18^th May 2011, created 10 weeks later, Hockney captures the landscape in full bloom, with the bright yellow fields of rapeseed signalling late spring. This picture is a celebration of growth; the trunk of the tree is gnarled and bent, but Hockney depicts a precise moment in which its branches produce new buds. In both these works, he demonstrates his skills in creating depth and layered perspectives by juxtaposing sharply defined lines with more diffused forms. The tree branches are crisp and defined, accentuated against the dappled fields, road and woodland that extends beyond. Rather than hiding the digital nature of these works, Hockney emphasises it, frequently using dots alongside fluid lines, employing the same stylistic techniques that can be found throughout his etchings and lithographs.

Recent interest in Hockney's iPad works highlight the broader significance of The Arrival of Spring not only as a profound technical achievement but as a deeply personal narrative of place and time. Returning to Yorkshire after decades in California, Hockney rediscovered the subtle but dramatic changing of the seasons. He noted that in Los Angeles, the shift in seasons was almost invisible, whereas in northern Europe it brought a 'big change.'

Floral bouquets are recurring motifs in Hockney's iPad drawings, and when he first began working with the medium, his former partner, John Fitzherbert, would buy a bouquet every day to provide the artist with new arrangements. Hockney would send these drawings to his friends as gifts: 'I draw flowers every day on my iPhone and send them to friends so they get fresh flowers every morning.' 

Hockney's early works with the iPad used line sparingly to suggest light and shadow as a means of capturing the essential qualities of his subjects. This can be seen in the suggested outlines of the leaves and pot, or the small dabs of light which catch the rim and handle of the mug in Untitled (224) (Striped Mug). In more recent works, such as 7^th March 2021, More Flowers on a Table, Hockney uses a similarly loose technique to represent texture in the flowers, leaves and stems. Again, he employs a variety of contrasting sharp and softer forms, including stippled dots which build up depth, just as he did in The Arrival of Spring works. These floral arrangements demonstrate how Hockney playfully brings the outside world into his home, expanding his natural daily ritual of sustained observation and pure expression. His use of the iPad highlights also how Hockney sees no division between traditional and digital media, viewing the iPad only as another tool for representing the world with joyful immediacy, emotion and sincerity.

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