Lense-Hockney

 

Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures)
David Hockney 

• Who is David Hockney? Some people don’t believe his stories. Do you? Why?

        David Hockney is an artist and art historian. His works range from painting, to photographs, to printmaking, and much more, however, in this instance, I view Hockney as an art historian. I am not sure why some people don't believe his "stories" because to me they are not stories, they are just facts. Many times in the video, Hockney talks about the many instances where it is obvious that a painter has used a type of camera to trace their work. This is not the kind of camera that we think of nowadays, but it is either done with the use of a "camera lucida" or a "camera obscura". I do believe his "stories" because there is actual scientific evidence of the use of these tools as early as the 1600s. 

• What was the Secret Knowledge? Does it change the way you look at painting? Why?

        The Secret Knowledge was the use of either a "camera lucida" or a "camera obscura" to project a picture onto a drawing or painting format for tracing. The most popular was the camera obscura which used a mirror, or a lense to flip an image that is in direct sunlight.  Knowledge of the use of these tools does not change the way I look at painting mainly because I have known this information for a while. I personally us a projector sometimes for my paintings and it is simply to be more efficient when I am working. I am sure that many of the artists who used these tools in the past still have the skills to paint very detailed paintings, maybe not as much in depth detail, but overall I think it is really a smart use of a tool that can cut down on the time that a painting is made in. I know that I, myself, have the skills to sit down and spend hours upon hours painting something, but I find more enjoyment in painting when I can use something to trace my sketch quickly with, so really I don't blame artists for using the same technique centuries ago!

• What methods did Hockney use to tell his story? What were the most effective? Why?

        The methods that Hockney used to tell his story were many different examples that reveal the truth behind many artists using a tool to trace an image rather than painting from direct observation. One way that he did this was by showing how he could not replicate the drawing of a chandelier because it has so many layers and movement to it. He showed how difficult it would have been to draw the object from direct observation. Another method was by getting the perspective of a scientist. I think that this method was the most effective because it brings in a different perspective that is usually pretty trustworthy. I feel like many times when theories are hard to prove, there is a scientist who can do calculations to prove that the theory is correct. So, when the scientist in the film said that he had actual calculations that prove that a certain painting had to be drawn from a lense, I was definitely more convinced. Overall, I really loved watching this film because it validates the use of tools to help artists speed up their process and make hyperrealist paintings/drawings. 

Outside Sources:

“David Hockney.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 27 Jan. 2024, www.britannica.com/biography/David-Hockney.

“Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures) by David Hockney.” Christie’s, www.christies.com/en/stories/david-hockney-portrait-of-an-artist-pool-with-two-figures-fc646a8d6dfb4ea98814460d351e485b. Accessed 12 Feb. 2024.