David Hockney Wants His Biggest Ever Show to Bring You Joy
The New York Times
The artist is 87 now and under constant medical care. But he was determined to make it to Paris for the exhibition of his life.
Two years ago, when the Louis Vuitton Foundation in Paris approached David Hockney about staging a blockbuster retrospective of his work, he assumed he would not be around to see it open.
“Even last year, I thought I wouldn’t be here,” Hockney, now 87 and wheelchair-bound, said in a recent video interview. “But I still am,” he added, with satisfaction.
A few weeks before the opening of the show — called “David Hockney 25,” and set to be one of the most talked-about European art shows of the spring — Hockney was in his London studio, wearing a mint green cardigan and canary yellow glasses that perfectly matched his tie.
When he lit a cigarette, a nurse in blue scrubs appeared over his shoulder, peering at Hockney with apparent concern. But by staying silent, the nurse respected the buttons that both he and Hockney wore, reading “End Bossiness Soon.” The artist made those after the British government banned smoking in public spaces in 2007.
These days, Hockney has 24-hour medical care, and ensuring that he will be well enough to go to Paris for the exhibition opening has been a priority for his team. He planned to travel by car, with his dachshund, Tess; his doctor would travel separately, he said.
“I am looking forward to it, because it is the largest exhibition I’ve ever had. Which it should be,” Hockney said with a wry smile. “Shouldn’t it, really?”
Run 3 Space | Play Space Running Game
Traffic Jam 3D | Online Racing Game
Duck Hunt | Play Old Classic Game
Trending for spring: a jacket inspired by firemen.
The 2,000-year-old Torlonia collection of Roman sculptures, now at the Art Institute of Chicago, has the urgency of the greatest contemporary art.
The president’s executive order demanding change at the institution presents a perilous test for Lonnie G. Bunch III, its secretary, whom the White House calls a partisan Democrat.
Before Wisconsin’s election, a right-wing group rallied for voters’ attention with unauthorized photos of Emily Ratajkowski and a shirtless man holding a dog.
French visitors are coming to Washington with an old U.S. battle flag and a plan to rekindle memories of the American soldiers who rescued their region during World War I.
Even his choice of parts could be eccentric. In the end, he’s best thought of as a character actor trapped in a leading man’s body.
The things that made Selena Selena.
The artist is 87 now and under constant medical care. But he was determined to make it to Paris for the exhibition of his life.
The fitness influencer Kenny Boulet, who asks gymgoers if they’re “natty or not,” wants people to be more honest about their steroid use.
The actor calls his solo performance in Chekhov’s melancholy comedy an “endless experiment.” Even all alone, he can really fill a stage.
A debate about the Row’s latest rubber sandals.
Because Shakespeare gave his hero and antihero equal weight, the contest between the actors playing them has never been that easy to call.