DAVID HOCKNEY: AN INTIMATE EYE
New York : March 5 - April 16, 2004

Richard Gray Gallery presents an exhibition of new works on paper by David Hockney. On the occasion of the artist's inclusion in the Whitney Biennial, this collection of new works further affirms why David Hockney is among the master draftsmen of our time. Revisiting portraiture, Hockney creates a new body of work that builds upon the iconic images of the 1970's and incorporates his ongoing desire to experiment with various styles and techniques.

There is a familiarity in these new portraits and yet there is a subtle transformation. The intimacy is maintained, but there is a new candor that has been introduced into the work. Understanding how we see has been an area of intense interest for Hockney throughout his career and his experimentation with the Camera Lucida in 1999-2000, which had culminated in his provocative book "Secret Knowledge," has contributed to his awareness. Hockney describes these works as coming from a conscious rejection of seeing from a photographically influenced perspective. "I'm quite convinced painting can't disappear because there's nothing to replace it. The photograph isn't good enough. It's not real enough."

This experimentation has also provided the artist with a new level of confidence in his ability to produce convincing likenesses in a variety of media. The works are imbibed with a sense of heightened accuracy and immediacy produced with an unwavering hand. Never an artist to be bound to a particular formula, Hockney has once again embraced his creativity and innate curiosity.