Having travelled to Manchester from the Lightroom in London, Hockney’s career retrospective made its debut in the north, bringing a big name to the Manchester art scene. Situated within Factory International, the immersive exhibition transported the viewer through Hockney’s artistic past using projections on all four walls and a soundtrack of both Hockney’s narration and some classical music. The exhibition had two main take-aways: its accessibility for art enjoyers of all backgrounds, and its insight into the workings of one of the most influential artists from the last sixty years.
Unlike a traditional gallery exhibition, all viewers gathered together in one room to watch the projection unfold, forcing the audience to pause as they were guided by Hockney through some of his most renowned work. Despite cart-wheeling children, visitors coming and going, and quiet chatter, there was a feeling of calm within the room. Visitors could stay for as long as they liked and watch the projection several times over if they chose. There was no pressure to rush, as sometimes is the case with busy, formal exhibitions.
This was no pretentious exhibition; the audience was invited to take their time to listen to Hockney’s words and images, and immerse themselves in this cinema-gallery hybrid. The lack of gilded frames and Hockney’s simple narration made for a communal and down to earth experience. His advice to the viewers was simple. He comments in his narration: “The world is very very beautiful if you look at it, but most people don’t look very much. They scan the ground in front of them so they can walk, they don’t really look at things incredibly well, with an intensity. I do”.
The format of the exhibition appeared to be encouraging viewers to do exactly this. Its immersive nature and sensory engagement succeeded in forcing us to look with intensity, as Hockney advises. With the art-world often caught up in complicated movements, theories, and snobbery, Hockney’s Lightroom was a necessary reminder of the importance of simply seeing and being.
The immersive nature of the exhibition meant Hockney could visually emphasise particular paintings and aspects of his work on a big screen, forcing the viewer to acknowledge their colours and form in a way that could be overlooked passively in a regular exhibition. While viewers may have missed the textural aspects of his work that you’d get in a gallery, Hockney forced us to acknowledge the very basic aspects of painting and photography in an uncomplicated way. This was one key benefit of the immersive exhibition: Hockney compelled viewers to look closer and be present.
Hockney’s personal narration was unique and was certainly a good argument for the existence immersive exhibitions, against even the harshest sceptics. While Hockney’s masterpieces being projected on a screen is certainly no match for seeing them in the flesh, for the avid Hockney fan the exhibition was a fascinating accompaniment to his gallery exhibitions.
Hockney talked us through his photo montages from the States, explaining his desire to add time and depth into photography, coining it ‘painting it with photographs’. He talked of form and lines, explaining his fascination with LA and its straight lines before discovering the squiggly lines of the Californian hills beyond.
He took us through his series with Vogue, and his distorted ode to Van Gogh’s chair, explaining the need for painting to exhibit various angles at once, whilst viewers saw time lapses of the creation of his iPad paintings, uncovering the layers behind the digital painting in a truly unique way. Considering Hockney’s recent utilisation of the iPad for painting, it is no surprise that a digital exhibition was next for him.
Despite some criticism, such as The Guardian branding the exhibition “an overwhelming blast of passionless kitsch”, I firmly believe Hockney’s Bigger & Closer (not smaller & further away) is relevant in the art world and brilliant for the art scene in Manchester. The hybrid of cinema, art and theatre was an exciting new way to view Hockney’s work and puts Manchester alongside London in trailblazing this new form of exhibition.
It’s indisputable that an immersive exhibition could never replace the striking impact of viewing a true Hockney on a gallery wall, but Bigger & Closer (not smaller & further away) was certainly a happy addition to Hockney’s portfolio, providing fascinating insight to his work, and reminding audiences to appreciate the world around them in an uncomplicated way.
