David Hockney – David Graves Pembroke Studios London Tuesday 27th April 1982 1982, Composite Polaroid 51 3/4 x 26 1/4 in.Collection David Hockney

Hockney, David.  David Hockney.  Bradford, England: Lund Humphries.  1977.

Print.

This autobiography, though written before Hockney began David Graves Pembroke Studios London Tuesday 27^th April 1982, provided excellent first hand information about the artist’s life and major inspirations, particularly during his art school years and his stint in California.  While studying at the Royal College of Art, Hockney discovered the works of Pablo Picasso and felt that his somewhat controversial work was much better than the paintings of other British artists of that time.  He gushes about Picasso’s aility to return to Classicism from his more well-known Cubist paintings, saying that “lesser artists can’t” (123).Pablo Picasso’s influence is felt strongly in Hockney’s more abstract paintings and his composite photos and Hockney even described his art as an example of Cubism.  The book also chronicles his five-year relationship with Peter Schlessinger, the subject of many of Hockney’s paintings and drawings.  In general, David Hockney’s homosexuality greatly influenced his art, especially his earlier works.

Weschler, Lawrence.  True to Life: Twenty-Five Years of Conversations with David Hockney.  University of California Press: Berkeley and Los Angeles, California.  2008.  Print.

This book is a great resource because most of the text is from interviews with David Hockney.  The first chapter, “Camera Works: Staring Down a Paralyzed Cyclops (1983)” provides insight into David Hockney’s photography.  Initially, Hockney used photography to jog his memory while painting.  However, he did not like how wide-angle cameras distorted the picture, so he began to make “joiners” or Polaroid Collages to fix this problem.  He would take multiple photographs of the same subject from different angles and distances, cut them up, and then reassemble the pieces onto a grid.  Over the next three months, Hockney completed over 140 Polaroid Collages.  This book does not mention David Graves Pembroke Studios London Tuesday 27^th April 1982, but it contains information on other works of art in which David Graves is featured, including The Scrabble Game, Jan. 1 1983.  From this section, the reader learns that David Graves was a close friend of Hockney.

Falco, Charles M.  Abstract of a Lecture on this Work: The Science of Optics; The History of Art.  (2008).

                University of Arizona.  Web.  2 February 2009.  http://www.optics.arizona.edu/SSD/colloq.htm.

This website was created by a friend of David Hockney, Charles Falco.  Hockney worked with Falco and David Graves, the subject of David Graves Pembroke Studios London Tuesday 27^th April 1982, on his research of Secret Knowledge.  David Hockney observed that many paintings from the early Renaissance looked photographic.  He claimed that artists from that time must have had optical aids.  I used this website to find a relationship between David Hockney and David Graves.  In real life, Graves was probably an aide or assistant to David Hockney.

Ann Looking at her Picture David Hockney ARA.  Art-eFact.  (2008).  Art-eFact Galleries Limited.  Web.  2 February 2009.  http://www.art-efact.com/Detail/DavidHockneyARAAnnLookingAtHerPicture.htm.

This website does not have much information, but it does provide some important background information on David Graves.  David Graves and his wife, Ann Upton, were good friends of the artist.  The couple and their young son, Byron appear in many of Hockney’s portraits.  However, Byron died in 1982.