DAVID HOCKNEY: PORTRAITS

Throughout his career Hockney created portraits although as opposed to many artists most often these were of couples or two subjects. Their composition, proxemics, staging and colours attempting to show the relationships between the characters.

Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures) 1972

The storytelling in the image is huge and the anguish, solitude and isolation of the characters is exquisite. Separated by water, look (familiar profiled figure), tone, composition, clothing and foreground and background shape a line. Is the character under water free or constricted, is the character looking forlornly on wanting to be the character or projecting a possible underwater fate? The paining is loaded with meaning and emotion. Painted at the time of their break up Hockney's then boyfriend the artist Peter Schlesinger looks on at Hockney's assistant swimming underwater. The composition and profile look of the main character of the portrait using proxemics and profile staging position to alienate the viewer somewhat leaving the subject unaware of being observed and lost in their own thoughts. These are techniques I can employ in my own work.

American Collectors (Fred and Marcia Weisman) 1968

This picture has the clean lines, pure blue LA sky and sparse composition of much of Hockney's work of the period. Surrounded by a few sculptural pieces from their collection the couple are apart and distanced and separated composed almost as statues themselves. It has the one character in profile one straight on used in a lot of his portraits. They are held together in the frame but it portrays them more as two individuals rather than as a couple. The colour and composition are fascinating.

Christopher Isherwood and Don Bachardy 1968

Similar to the above "Collectors" in terms of sparseness and composition the characters are held together in the frame but it portrays them more as two individuals rather than as a couple. This separation is a techniques that could readily be applied to my own work. Even in a green screen shoot and two chairs to add an artificial background relevant to the subjects. Split screen possibilities too.

Henry Geldzaher and Christopher Scott 1969

Again the composition is fascinating and follows the full on and profile composition of Hockney's double portraits. In this paining though the composition definitely favours Geldzahers seated figure as Scott looks forlornly almost on much like Peter Schlesinger in Portrait of an Artist mentioned earlier.

My Parents 1977

A much more sympathetic composition allowing more closeness to Hockney's parents but still allowing that degree of separation depicting them as individuals but a couple. Hockney's mother appears to have the strength in the relationship as she is afforded the intimate full on gaze inviting out intimacy. His dad is not quite in profile but between this and three-quarter making him a little more accessible but given a book prop to look at to allow his lack of engagement and distracted pose.

The five works above helped me to consider a different approach to shooting a documentary echoing the together but alienated style of these paintings. The use of proxemics and staging position one character full front offering the viewer intimacy and inviting complicity with them. Then the second in profile making this subject more remote, unaware of being looked at and lost in their own thoughts. This could be re-created and applied to filming interviews with two characters in a manipulated frame sometimes both in the original frame sometimes a composite of two halves of the same frame shot at different times to create this isolation. they could talk about each other in the same frame aware that the other person it there but also independently to see how their revelations may differ.

What I have learnt and will take forward.

• The use of proxemics and profile staging position to alienate the viewer somewhat leaving the subject unaware of being observed and lost in their own thoughts. These are techniques I can employ in my own work.
• Consider a different approach to shooting a documentary echoing Hockney's portraits of couples together but alienated. The use of proxemics and staging position one character full front offering the viewer intimacy and inviting complicity with them. Then the second in profile making this subject more remote, unaware of being looked at and lost in their own thoughts. This could be re-created and applied to filming interviews with two characters in a manipulated frame sometimes both in the original frame sometimes a composite of two halves of the same frame shot at different times to create this isolation. they could talk about each other in the same frame aware that the other person it there but also independently to see how their revelations may differ.

http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/exhibition/david-hockney