24TH FEBRUARY 2021, RED, YELLOW AND PURPLE FLOWERS ON A BLUE TABLECLOTH, 2021

  • 24th February 2021, Red, Yellow and Purple Flowers on a Blue Tablecloth, 2021, David Hockney
    24th February 2021, Red, Yellow and Purple Flowers on a Blue Tablecloth, 2021
    iPad painting printed on paper, 89 x 63.5 cm
    Edition of 50
    ©David Hockney
     
    Hockney uses the iPad here to capture a bouquet bursting with tempo rather than tidiness. The vivid reds, yellows and purples feel freshly observed, as if he has just walked in and noticed the way morning light hits each bloom. The crisp digital marks keep the flowers alive and in motion, while the deep brown background strips away distraction. The bright blue tablecloth anchors the scene and turns a domestic moment into a structured composition with a clear graphic punch.
     
    This work reinforces Hockney’s belief that still life is never still. Flowers shift, colours fade, shadows lengthen, and the iPad lets him respond before those changes slip away. Once printed, the image holds both the speed of its making and the physical presence of a traditional artwork. The result is a contemporary still life that proves digital tools can heighten attention to the natural world rather than dull it.
  • "Enjoyment of the landscape is a thrill." 

     
    - David Hockney
    Hockney has always treated flowers as a gesture of attention, both on and off the canvas. He often sends digital bouquets to friends, sketched quickly on his iPad and delivered instantly. It is his way of sharing a moment of looking a colour combination he noticed that morning, the shape of a new bloom on the table, the shift of light that made something ordinary suddenly worth seeing. Instead of buying a bouquet, he makes one.