In the midst of a pandemic, David Hockney RA captured the unfolding of spring on his iPad, creating 116 new and optimistic works in praise of the natural world.
Please note:
• This exhibition is due to open Sunday 23 May 2021.
• The dates for this exhibition have changed; if you bought tickets for a date when we were closed, then we’ll be in touch with you very soon to rearrange. In the meantime, sign up to our newsletter or follow us on social to be first to hear when more tickets become available.
• Our Friends preview dates are 20, 21 and 22 May.
• We couldn’t have made it through the past year without our Friends and supporters, who will continue to get priority access to all our exhibitions. However, due to social distancing, capacity in our galleries is greatly reduced and sadly we can’t guarantee access if time slots are fully booked.
David Hockney RA is one of the most important British artists of the 20th century – and he remains one of the most inventive.
Throughout his career, he’s investigated new technologies and explored different ways to make art, beginning with his iPhone in 2007 before adopting the iPad and Stylus in 2010.
This new body of work – 116 works in total – has been ‘painted’ on the iPad and then printed onto paper, with Hockney overseeing all aspects of production.
As Hockney himself notes: working on the iPad requires the ability to draw and paint. Each work – which has been printed far larger than the screen on which it was created – allows you to see every mark and stroke of the artist’s hand.
Made in the spring of 2020, during a period of intense activity at his home in Normandy, this exhibition charts the unfolding of spring, from beginning to end, and is a joyous celebration of the seasons.
Opening exactly a year after the works were made during the global pandemic, this exhibition will be a reminder of the constant renewal and wonder of the natural world – and the beauty of spring.
Exhibition organised by the Royal Academy of Arts, London in collaboration with the Centre for Fine Arts, Brussels (BOZAR).
This exhibition will be shown in the Main Galleries from 23 May until 1 August, and then reinstalled in the Gabrielle Jungels-Winkler Galleries from 8 August until 26 September. The exhibition will include the same works in both locations.
