David Hockney (b. July 9) is considered to be one of the 20th century's most influential artists. He experimented and successfully used a variety of medium.
I like his use of the Polariod camera to create montages like the one pictured at the left. This montage shows the bottom of the swimming pool at Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel that Hockney painted in 1988. The pool was recently restored to it's original look.
Hockney used other film to create photo montages like the one at the right. Many of these were sizable pieces, often covering entire walls. Back in the 1990's, I had a job working for an advertising agency. Don't go getting all impressed; I worked in the accounting department.
Despite the fact that the owner of the agency was a misogynistic, Louis B. Mayer wannabe, he did have decent taste in art. The walls of the agency were covered with everything from antique French posters to yes, a couple of Hockney paintings.
Even though I've blocked most of the time spent at that job deep in my repressed memory, I do remember the owner's office had a Hockney photo montage in it. I just can't remember what it was. My desk sat in front of a Hockney and if it wasn't the Nichol's Canyon painting at the left, it was something very similar.
Hockney has written several books including the recent That's the Way I See It, the second volume of his autobiography. There are also several books on Hockney that you can get from your local independent bookstore or at your local library.
Hockney is the subject of A Bigger Splash, the 'fictional documentary' from 1973. The film takes its title from the painting of the same name, also shown at the right. Check out this cool article about Hockney's pools that includes many paintings.
The final painting I've included (bottom right) is titled 'We Two Boys Together Clinging.' Painted in 1962, the painting takes its title from a Walt Whitman poem. There's a very good video explanation of the painting at ArtBabble.
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