Hello Hockney

I’m sold. End of story….well maybe not so. Before I forget to mention it my self-esteem in the realm of drawing has doubled since watching Hockney’s “secret knowledge”.
I think Hockney (who I keep typing as Hockey) as an artist is in and of himself inspiring let alone this hidden thesis of his. I only say “hidden” because — why hasn’t this theory been bursting from the headlines of our newspapers??? Why isn’t this something taught in grade 10 art class??
Hockney’s honest curiosity is I think what makes the film so well done. I appreciated his comments on the fact that painters are in fact so much more – they are theologians, scientists, alchemists, intellects. Sometimes as a painter I feel like all that it took for one to get to the actual painting state is not recognized and quite possibly assumed that “intellect” is simply not there.
His serendipity in the moving cabbage in colour amazed me. It makes you wonder, that if the notion of moving colour pictures was available then but not acted upon regardless of reason, what exactly it is that we are missing out on now. Will it be 600 more years before we have the cure for all cancers even when the answer was in front of us all along. There are forces which can be too influential and I think that’s why there may be so much controversy over this film. It may not be the hard facts but the underlying idea of half truths though out human history.
I do think that it is particularly interesting – especially because Hockney himself is an artist – that he supports the idea of “optics do not make marks”. I understand fully where he is coming from with this but it just doesn’t seem to sit well with me. I certainly do not want to protest the “portrait gallery” in London and have beautiful drawings kicked out but the lack of being forthright period let alone with the enhancement of technology just doesn’t hold water for me as an individual.
As lines blur I find myself clinging harder to my 35mm camera. Yes, I know that I can arrange the scene to my liking and to express what I want to express but there is still an honesty about that relationship. I have used digital camera and after enhancing colours and cropping objects out I just don’t feel like there is any truth left. Hypothetically, if a photo is 80% truth how much more is extracted though the use of technology?? “
So, in the immortal words of David Hockney, “We did not see it at all – the camera did.”"
And to combat those words Campbell Scott, “There are only 26 letters, 7 notes and 3 colours – after that – it’s all just art.”

~ by Carrie Perreault on October 7, 2007.