David Hockney "The Loud Splash", 1967
Tate Gallery, London
Pop Art
Under the hot Californian sun someone, not visible to the viewer, dives into the pool, leaving behind a splash of water. Hockney applied the paint with a roller, and used small brushes for the spray image to impress the idea of a loud sound that was heard in silence. Here, in one of his most thoughtful and expressive paintings, he with a skillful reception stopped an elusive moment. Refusing military service, Hockney served military service, working as a hospital attendant at the hospital. Under the influence of his classmate RB China, he abandoned abstract art and from the very first steps was associated with the movement of pop art. A trip to California (where he eventually settled) inspired him to create a series of paintings depicting swimming pools, lawns and water splashes, in which, with dispassionate observation, he captured the world of splendid idleness. A brilliant draftsman, a city artist who knew how to grab a brief moment, he often used photography to work, even when he painted portraits. His many-sided creativity also includes scenery for operas.
