An Article by A. V. (522 words, 3 min. read)
Paris in springtime is a cliché, they say. But clichés exist for a reason. The city blooms with a certain magic, a lightness in the air that makes even the most jaded hearts flutter. It was under this spell that I found myself at the Fondation Louis Vuitton, drawn by the promise of immersing myself in the world of David Hockney.
As usual, the exhibitions at the Fondation Louis Vuitton are one of a kind—surprisingly beautiful, thoughtfully staged, and deeply immersive. I stepped into this new one already loving the works of Hockney, but with the quiet expectation of yet another extraordinary curation. I wasn’t disappointed.
A Life in Eleven Rooms
Walking into the exhibition, I was immediately struck by the sheer scale of it all. Over 400 works spanning seven decades, each room a chapter in Hockney’s life, each piece a window into his soul. The early works, with their bold lines and youthful exuberance, spoke of a young man eager to make his mark. As I moved through the rooms, I felt the evolution of an artist who never stopped exploring, never stopped questioning, never stopped seeing.
The Joy of Seeing
Hockney’s work is, above all, a celebration of seeing. His landscapes, whether of the Yorkshire countryside or the Normandy coast, are not just depictions of nature but meditations on perception. The colors are vivid, almost unreal, yet they capture something profoundly true about the way we experience the world. Standing before “A Bigger Splash,” I felt the sun on my skin, heard the distant hum of a summer’s day, and for a moment, I was there.
Embracing the New
What moved me most was Hockney’s embrace of new technologies. His iPad drawings, far from being gimmicks, are intimate and immediate. They capture fleeting moments—a blooming flower, a shifting sky—with a tenderness that is deeply human. It’s as if, even in his later years, Hockney remains a student of the world, always learning, always adapting.
A Personal Connection
As I wandered through the exhibition, I couldn’t help but reflect on my own journey. Like Hockney, I’ve sought to capture the beauty in everyday moments, to find meaning in the mundane. His work reminded me that art is not about perfection but about presence. It’s about being fully alive to the world around us, about seeing with both the eyes and the heart.
A Lasting Impression
Leaving the Fondation Louis Vuitton, I felt a profound sense of gratitude. Hockney’s exhibition is more than a retrospective; it’s a testament to a life lived in color, a reminder that beauty is everywhere if we only take the time to look. In a world that often feels gray and uncertain, Hockney’s art is a burst of joy, a splash of hope, a celebration of the enduring power of seeing.
Curated with sensitivity and vision by Suzanne Pagé, Artistic Director of the Fondation Louis Vuitton, this exhibition not only honors Hockney’s monumental career but invites us, gently and insistently, to look again.
All images are courtesy of the Fondation Louis Vuitton website.
