🔗 Share this article

He continues to create, the celebrated painter. Now in his late eighties, and more than 60 years into a career which has propelled him to the pinnacle of the contemporary art pile, Hockney is still painting, still experimenting, still innovating, and still having shows.

A Glimpse into the Exhibition

This art presentation – the first in a swish ultra-central London location for his long-term gallery, which has represented him for decades – is packed with paintings so new you can almost smell the wet paint. The opening room features intensely vibrant still life compositions: furniture, produce, and floral arrangements. While the themes are traditional and conventional, Hockney’s approach is never boring, is it?

His chairs reminiscent of Van Gogh are neon yellow and luminous purple; his floors are clashing compositions with red, yellow, and orange forms; his fruit is all primary and basic and childlike. Across the works, he toys with what he calls “reverse perspective”, aiming to mirror true human vision, not the static view of life found in photos and traditional art. Thus, everything appears unstable and distorted. His chair legs splay, his tablecloths warp. It may not be more accurate than classical perspective than traditional painting, but the woozy visual discomfort it creates is engaging and amusing. Garden images are incorporated into certain pieces – brief peeks into a muted English setting that enhance the vividness and cheerfulness of the overall artwork.

Nothing he does is ever dull … Flowers on a Garden Table, 13 July 2025.

Changes in Artistic Technique

What is unmistakable is the increased tremor in the brushstrokes than they used to be. Classic Hockney is so assured, displaying masterful control, but these new works are almost shockingly unsteady. The brush marks are full of quivers and tremors, the lines are irregular and scattered, patches of white base layer are visible throughout. They’re almost a mess, yet they are instantly, distinctly, and unmistakably his. It makes for quite an emotional, affecting experience – we’re watching one of the great artists of modern times age in front of our eyes. Contrast this with his initial pieces featured in a separate exhibition from several months ago and it almost starts to feel like bookends of a career, and the somber reality is somewhat difficult to accept, actually.

Figurative Works: Critical Views

The portrait section is the most controversial aspect. Hockney’s approach to skin tone has edged more towards pointillism over the years resulting in figures that look as if they’re covered in sores. Every subject is patchy, red-faced and pockmarked, splodged with pink and red with the exception of one individual who looks somewhat decayed. The depictions resemble lifeless forms than living beings with heartbeats and vitality. A triple portrait of a man in a mirror is conceptually interesting, yet the subject appears awkwardly waiting for his wife in a mundane setting. Only the self-portrait here depicting the artist working from a wheelchair really works, and that’s because it’s so vulnerable, but also so funnily self-aware.

Serene and minimalist … a piece from early 2020.

Experiments with Technology

On the upper level, Hockney continues his iPad experiments featuring lunar artworks; all dark and moody, large radiant spheres suspended over darkened scenery. They emanate tranquility, starkness, and a touch of melancholy. Criticisms of his digital art are unfounded – people complain about the lack of texture and brush marks and human touch, etc., yet in my view, they are impressive – an artist bending new technology to his will, showing that whatever the medium, he preserves his distinctive artistic identity.

The Question of Prolificacy

But look, is another Hockney show necessary? Over ten exhibitions of his art have been held in London recently, alongside a major retrospective in Paris a few months back, and this is not the final display. Another significant event is planned for 2026, as well. I love Hockney, yet I believe there may be a limit.

Nevertheless, I guess we should celebrate him while we can. In this exhibition, through these recent pieces with their imperfections, wit, and vibrancy, he’s just proving that he’s still at it, and his talent endures, all these years later.