David Hockney, 'Flowers for a Wedding'
David Hockney was still a student at the Royal College of Art in London when his work began to attract notice in 1962. For two years in a row Hockney’s work had featured in the Young Contemporaries at the RBA Galleries in London. The 25-year-old with the bleached mop of hair and huge horn-rimmed glasses had stirred up the art scene in the London Swinging Sixties.
For his graduation Hockney had refused to paint a female model from life as was required by the Royal College of Art. Instead, he rounded the rules and copied a muscleman out of a magazine. To prove that he mastered anatomy drawing he stuck one of his early studies of a skeleton on to it. Across the top he added the painted typography ‘Physique’ referring to the magazine name Physique Pictorial. Hockney was awarded a Gold Medal distinction which he received wearing a gold lamé jacket to the ceremony.
› Signed David Hockney and dated 1962 verso. Oil on canvas 61.7 x 31.2 cm.
The still life ‘Flowers for a Wedding’ was painted in 1962. Against a monochrome background a large vase towers, filled with red and orange flowers and near-black leaves. The arrangement seems to balance atop a yellow sign with the lettering 'FLOWERS'. The image is a close-up, cropped at the top. Since the 1960s, flowers would become a central theme of Hockney’s work. From paintings and etchings to lithographs and iPad drawings, the humble vase of flowers has been included and under constant review by the artist.
The painting ’Flowers for a Wedding’ could very well have been intended as a gift at a friend's wedding. Verso it is inscribed and dedicated 'for Ann'.
The work is one of the many highlights being sold at Bukowskis Contemporary Art & Design this spring.
Contemporary Art & Design
Viewing: April 19 – 23, Berzelii Park 1, Stockholm
Open: weekdays 11 am – 6 pm, weekends 11 am – 4 pm
Auction live: April 24 – 25, Arsenalsgatan 2, Stockholm
› Photo: James Gray/ ANL / REX / TT
“I draw flowers every day and send them to my friends so they get fresh blooms every morning.”
– David Hockney