We were up early on the 16th as we had plans to visit the Louis Vuitton Foundation, which is located in the Bois de Boulogne, an immense green park on the outskirts of Paris, to see the David Hockney exhibit. The foundation building, which puts me in mind of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, is ultramodern and quite interesting. Here is a photo of the exterior. My photo doesn’t do it justice but it was difficult to get in a position where I could really give you a better idea how outstanding the building is.
David Hockney, born in 1937 (and still living and painting) in Bradford, England, is one of the most famous British artists of the last century. He’s best known for his bold use of color, eye-catching paintings, and his constant experimentation with perspective, photography, and even digital art. In the early 1960s, he studied at the Royal College of Art in London, where he was linked with the Pop Art movement, though his work goes way beyond that label. Early on, his art mixed personal stories, bold graphics, and themes that often pushed boundaries.
Let’s start with a photo of some photos of the artist. In the main shot Hockney is sitting at a table contemplating several apparently unfinished pieces.
The next collection is of paintings from his early days.
And another from his earlier period.
JoAnn and I liked the exhibit but preferred his later work, which is next in the queue.
We enjoyed the next paintings of logs; the first showing the artist at work followed by the finished painting. I love his use of color.
If you look closely at the painting you can see lines running horizontally and vertically. What Hockney did/does is to paint on multiple canvases and then “knit” them together to create an enormous finished product.
One needs to stand at a distance to appreciate some of his work. Here the canvas is horizontally very long. The subjects are people, sitting in front of multiple paintings and contemplating them; or are the subjects the paintings? And, they, the subjects of the painting, are being likewise observed by the crowd at the exhibit.
This next piece is of a group of people sitting in front of a large mirror. Enjoy the reflections.
And another with a mirror and reflections.
I like this painting for his use of color. I can just imagine the sun rising, with its brilliant, golden rays of light piercing the cloudy, multicolored sky. Or it it sunset? You be the judge.
This next work is one of my favorites. The photo does not do it justice. The moon was absolutely electric.
I really like the photo because, on the lower left side of the picture, you can barely make out the individual sitting there, keeping an eye on the crowd.
One last photo of a photo of the master at work.
Before we say goodbye to the Foundation, lets visit the roof and see what it holds in store.
The view of Paris through the web of the Foundation’s metal and wood roof structure.
Now, on to the House of Dior.
What an interesting museum!!
Thanks Sharon; it was quite interesting.