DAVID HOCKNEY: THE FOUR SEASONS

In 2010 Hockney began making multi-screen video works by fixing a nine cameras to the outside of a vehicle which was then driven along a road at Woldgate, near Bridlington, Yorkshire. Each camera had a slightly different viewpoint that was to correspond to a screen in the completed work and he filmed over the four seasons capturing them all. The effect exploits the notions of Cubism explored in his earlier photomontage works all showing different aspects of the same scene but this time incorporating time and movement for the audience.  The images perspective, angles and shots overlap so when viewed as individual screens it makes some sort of sense but in its full complement of 9 screens per season it creates a bizarre wholeness. The videos explore the way a subject is seen over time but obviously also celebrate the miracle of the seasons.

The film was originally designed to be shown in sequence but later he reconfigured them as a four wall immersive experience encompassing the audience from the north, south east and west.

I found the piece incredible fascinating. the mix of time, movement perspective but the same subject and place mesmerising. It is indeed immersive and the feeling of being surrounded by the screens both enveloping and confusing due to the whichever way you looked you were missing a screen. I liked this choose how to consume conundrum for the audience though. Do you consume one screen at a time, walk around partaking in them all

• Consider resurrecting my own multi screened idea made up from TV screens and a sculptural tree but showing the four seasons reflected in its structure on the screens.
• The immersive experience was really invigorating and a great method of dissemination. It really made the audience interact with the piece. I may experiment again with multi-screened immersive installations for some of my work.
• Possibly use the technique but shoot a subject from multiple angles and shot sizes at the same time (ECU, CU, MCU, MS) but saying the same thing to show the different facets of their characters . This could then be shown on four big screens enveloping the viewer like Hockneys Four seasons and then letting the audience be their own director and choose which which screen to watch. This is also a bit like Ugo Rondinone's THANX 4 NOTHING, at the infinite mix.