23RD MARCH 2021, FLOWERS IN A MILK BOTTLE, 2021

  • 23rd March 2021, Flowers in a Milk Bottle, 2021,
    23rd March 2021, Flowers in a Milk Bottle, 2021
    iPad painting printed on paper
    89 x 63.5 cm, Edition of 50
    ©David Hockney
     
    23rd March 2021, Flowers in a Milk Bottle shows Hockney embracing the everyday as a worthy subject of close observation. The composition is deliberately simple: three flowers held in a clear milk bottle, placed on a red checked tablecloth against a plain brown backdrop. The bold colour pairing yellow, white and magenta blooms against the neutral ground heightens the clarity of the arrangement. Reflections in the glass are rendered with quick shifts of tone, capturing the play of light through water and surface without overworking detail. The result is a still life that holds attention through precision and restraint.
     
    The work underscores Hockney’s ongoing exploration of how digital tools can serve traditional concerns of colour, perception and time. Drawing directly on the iPad enables him to respond immediately to changes in light and the subtle behaviour of the flowers. That immediacy remains visible in the finished print, where every mark reflects a moment of looking. By choosing a humble container over a decorative vase, Hockney reinforces that beauty and observation can be found in ordinary objects, renewing the still life genre for the present day.
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  • "I draw flowers every day and send them to my friends so they get fresh blooms every morning."

     
    - David Hockney
    Hockney’s adoption of the iPad reflects his long-standing belief that new technology can open up fresh ways of seeing. The device allows him to draw with accuracy and urgency, making changes in real time as colours shift and petals droop. He can layer, refine and correct without interrupting the flow of observation, keeping the work closely tied to the moment it is made. Once printed, the digital drawing retains that spontaneity, showing how seamlessly the iPad supports his core artistic priorities: close looking, direct mark making and the transformation of everyday subjects into concentrated studies of perception.