Art and Design Inspiration
Top London Art Exhibitions of 2023
2023 is an exciting time for the art world with must-see exhibitions to book now all over London. To make things a little easier, we have shared some of our hand-picked favourites of 2023 so far:
Discover the Black artists from the Southeastern United States who created some of the most spectacular and ingenious works of the last century. Made from the materials available locally – like clay, driftwood, roots, soil, recycled and cast-off objects – the 64 works range from the mid 20th century to today.
The exhibition explores this transformative period of Abakanowicz’s practice when her woven forms came off the wall and into three-dimensional space. With these works she brought soft, fibrous forms into a new relationship with sculpture. A selection of early textile pieces and her little-known drawings are also on show.
With over 100 international artists featured, this show is the most comprehensive graffiti & street art exhibition to open in the UK and takes over all three floors of London’s iconic Saatchi Gallery. Beyond the Streets London examines the fundamental human need for public self-expression, highlighting artists with roots in graffiti and street art whose work has evolved into highly disciplined studio practices, alongside important cultural figures inspired by this art scene.
Last but not least,
‘Bigger & Closer (not smaller & further away)’, located in London’s Kings Cross, is showcasing Hockney’s work like never seen before. The show utilises the latest digital projection and audio technology, illustrating Hockney’s colourful paintings and experimenting with perspective. Using animation as a way of ‘drawing with a camera’, the passing of time is captured in his illustrations and collages, and the joy of spring on his iPad.
David Hockney at ‘Bigger & Closer’ Exhibition in London
David Hockney and his 2023 Exhibition: Bigger & Closer (not smaller & further away)
David Hockney is one of the most important and influential artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. His contributions to the art world have been significant and far-reaching, and his work has inspired countless artists and art enthusiasts around the world. Hockney first rose to prominence in the 1960s, during the Pop Art movement. Along with artists like Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein, Hockney’s work challenged the traditional boundaries of art and embraced the commercial and popular culture of the time.
Throughout his career, Hockney has continued to challenge and expand the meaning of modern art. He has worked in a variety of mediums, including painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, and digital art, and his work has explored a wide range of themes and subjects. Hockney’s willingness to experiment and explore new techniques and ideas has made him one of the most innovative and influential artists of his time.
We consider ‘Bigger & Closer (not smaller & further away)’ to be one of the art experiences of 2023, featuring some of Hockney’s most famous works, including “A Bigger Splash,” “Pearblossom Highway,” and “Garrowby Hill.” One of the stand-out works in the exhibition is “A Closer Grand Canyon,” which was painted in 1998 but still feels very modern in 2023 …25 years later! The painting measures over 13 feet in length and is made up of 60 individual canvases. The piece is a stunning example of Hockney’s unique approach to landscape painting, as the artist has broken down the scene into individual segments, each with its own unique perspective and colour scheme. The result is a breath-taking panorama of one of America’s most iconic landmarks, captured in Hockney’s trademark style.
Another highlight of the exhibition is “Bigger Trees Near Warter,” which was painted in 2007 This painting is one of Hockney’s largest works, measuring over 15 feet in length. The painting depicts a grove of trees in the Yorkshire countryside, near Hockney’s home. The trees are rendered in Hockney’s vibrant, bold style, with each tree painted in a different colour. The effect is almost psychedelic, with the trees seeming to vibrate and pulse with energy- is still very fresh and modern 16 years later in 2023!
“Bigger Trees Near Warter” at ‘Bigger and Closer’ Exhibition 2023
“The world is very very beautiful if you look at it, but most people don’t look very much. They scan the ground in front of them so they can walk, they don’t really look at things incredibly well, with an intensity. I do.” – David Hockney
One of the characteristics that makes Hockney a successful artist, is his willingness to try any medium and to not shy away from materials that he initially lacks knowledge of. An incredible example of this, is his work using stained glass windows. One of Hockney’s most notable stained-glass works can be found in Westminster Abbey’s Queen’s Window, which was commissioned in honour of Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012. The Dean’s brief to Hockney was to provide something symbolic or representational of the subject, rather than a heraldic or figurative design, and for it to be recognisable as his work. Within a day of being offered the commission, Hockney sent the Dean a first-draft design. The window features a bright and colourful design, with a central image of a tree surrounded by vibrant foliage and flowers. It has also been said that Hockney was inspired by the work of Henri Matisse and Marc Chagall, painters who also worked in stained glass.
David Hockney’s stained glass work is a testament to his versatility as an artist. His ability to create beautiful and unique works of art in a variety of mediums has helped to cement his status as one of the most important artists of our time.
David Hockney’s stained glass window at Westminster Abbey
The Importance of Color in David Hockney’s Work
One of the most distinctive aspects of David Hockney’s work is his use of colour. Hockney’s colours are bright and bold, often applied in thick, expressive brushstrokes that create a sense of energy and movement. His use of colour is not simply decorative; it is an essential part of the narrative of his work, helping to convey mood, emotion, and atmosphere.
Hockney’s fascination with colour began early in his career, as he was deeply influenced by the bright, sun-drenched landscapes of southern California where he lived for a time in the 1960s. He has worked with acrylic paints, watercolours, and pastels, constantly testing the power of colour within different mediums. In the 1980s, Hockney began using colour photocopying machines to create his artwork, producing vibrant, saturated prints that captured the bold hues of his earlier works. He also experimented with creating large-scale photomontages, which he called “joiners,” that combined multiple photographs to create a single image that captured the intense colours and textures of his subjects.
Hockney’s history with colour is one of experimentation and innovation, as he has continually pushed beyond of what is possible with colour. This understanding of colour is a powerful tool for expression, composition, symbolism, and can completely change the space that you’re in.
Sharing Hockney’s sense of expression with colour, is Sonya Winner and her Vibrant Contemporary Rug Collection. Like Hockney, Sonya constantly creates new possibilities of colour combinations and explores how they can change an environment. Sonya describes her rugs as the direct result of a colour experiment and demonstrates how colours overlay and mix often creating an illusion of transparency. To achieve this, Sonya often uses a variety of materials like tissue paper, coloured glass and plastic, and an assortment of coloured drawing tools when designing. Sonya has said that her emotional response to bold colour and shape is something that she wants everybody to connect to in her work.
Sonya Winner at her design studio in London
“Colour is key – it transforms an environment, changes mood, creates excitement, ambience, interest and simply makes you happy.” – Sonya Winner
Ultimately, David Hockney is an artist whose influence and importance cannot be overstated. His work has had a significant impact on art history, challenging traditional boundaries and encouraging experimentation. His work has pathed the stepping stones for contemporary artists and designers such as Sonya Winner, who to continue to push the limits of perspective and colour, fundamentally changing the world as we know it.
