25TH MARCH 2021, FLOWERS ON THE TABLE EDGE, 2021

  • Back to 20 Flowers Flowers on the Table Edge brings focus to an asymmetrical arrangement that feels both spontaneous and...
    25th March 2021, Flowers on the Table Edge, 2021
    iPad painting printed on paper, 89 x 63.5 cm
    Edition of 50
    ©David Hockney
     
    Flowers on the Table Edge brings focus to an asymmetrical arrangement that feels both spontaneous and sharply observed. The bouquet’s varied greens, punctuated by yellow and deep plum accents, rise in loose formation from a cut glass vase positioned purposely close to the lower edge of the composition. The placement creates a sense of immediacy and intimacy, as if the viewer is standing directly beside the table. The dense brown background strengthens the contrast of the foliage, while the blue patterned tablecloth provides a geometric counterpoint to the organic forms above.
     
    The work reflects Hockney’s continued exploration of how digital mark-making can retain the vitality of direct observation. Using the iPad, he records light, shape and colour with responsive clarity, adjusting his drawing as the flowers shift and settle. When translated into print, the energy of those gestures holds firm, demonstrating how seamlessly the medium supports his interest in perception, attention and the quiet drama of everyday objects.
  • "I believe that the very process of looking can make a thing beautiful."

     

    - David Hockney

    Hockney approaches flowers as a means of examining perception, not as decorative subjects. Their constant change in colour, structure and orientation requires sustained and attentive looking. By working from life, he engages with a subject that refuses to remain still, prompting rapid decisions and direct mark making. This challenge is precisely what sustains his interest, as flowers provide an active and unpredictable source of visual information.