CONTEMPORARY SCENE
DIGITAL Art
One of the UK’s most influential artists, David Hockney, has joined the digital revolution by painting pictures with his iPhone and sending them to his friends. By Mary Gibb
Untitled, 22 February 2011, iPad Drawing
I
t was about a year ago, when Hockney was with his friend, the writer Lawrence Weschler, that he was first introduced to the iPhone. ‘He grabbed it and said
“let’s have a look at that”,’ says Weschler who has been chronicling Hockney’s work for the past 25 years. The next day Hockney bought an iPhone, then, after a few months, Weschler, along with a number of Hockney’s friends, began receiving a series of Hockney’s iPhone drawings. Weschler explains that one of the fascinating
things about the iPhone’s technology is that the original images received on their iPhones from Hockney (and which they continue to receive) retain the highest resolution but this resolution would otherwise be reduced if sent on to anyone else. Exploring particular aspects of the iPhone
has allowed Hockney to make drawings from an entirely new perspective. He has found, for example, that when making his self-portraits the blank screen of the iPhone which appears when the camera is turned off acts as a sort of mirror in which he has used his own reflection as the starting point for the self-portraits. ‘I’ve always embraced technology especially technology that’s about picture making,’ he says. He finds the four-and-half inch piece of technology fits conveniently into his pocket, inspiring him make spontaneous sketches wherever and whenever he pleases. In Hockney’s series of flower studies the
flowers are placed in simple drinking glasses or clear vases viewed against the light. Selecting a vivid palette from the iPhone’s colours has enabled him to capture their freshness and luminosity. The light that illuminates the screen seems to intensify the colour while Hockney has made particular use of the various functions to explore techniques
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COLLECTIONS INTERNATIONAL 47
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