Hockney's world

Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures) . 1972 . Acrylic paint on canvas 2140 x 3048 mm .
Lewis Collection . © David Hockney Photo Credit: Art Gallery of New South Wales / Jenni Carter Courtesy of the Tate for use of the image

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STORY

I walked through Pimlico station, past the muralsin the subwaysubway and out into a sunny Sunday with a cloudlesssky. There’s a David Hockney exhibition on at Tate Britain and I went roundit with a friend last week. Although I’m not that intoall of his work, I really enjoyed the show. It’s ablaze with colour and so kind offun and playful. He didn’t hold backbut constantlyexperimented(and is still experimenting!) with different styles and techniques. Although the paintings are quite photographic, he always seems to capturesomething that photography can’t - the wateriness of water, a loadedglance or the sound of silence. There’s a stiflingstillness to some of his paintings and I felt intriguedby them but that I wouldn’t want to be there ..in those spaces. I found myself asking all sorts of questions. What are the people thinking about and what had just been said? What'll happen next? All in all it’s a great retrospectiveand if you're in London, I recommend going to Pimlico and stepping intoHockney's world for an hour or two.

Glossary

1. A mural (noun)
A painting on a wall
2. A subway (noun)
A tunnel that goes under a street
3. cloudless (adj.) 
A clear sky that does not have any clouds
4. to go round (phrasal verb) 
To visit a place
5. to be into smth (phrasal verb)
To like something
6. ablaze (adj.)
To be bright and colourful
7. kind of (phrase)
A common phrase that is used when you are talking about something in general
8. playful (adj.)
Used to describe something that isn't too serious
9. to hold back (phrasal verb)
To stop yourself from doing or saying something
10. constantly (adverb)
Continuously over a period of time/ always
11. to experiment (verb)
To try different things
12. capture (verb)
To express what something is really like
13. loaded (adj.)
With a hidden or second meaning.
14. a glance (noun)
When someone looks at someone/something quickly
15. stifling (adj.)
This adjective can mean that is a place is too hot and it can also mean that a place has an uncomfortable atmosphere.
16. stillness (noun)
The quality of being still
17. intrigued (adj.)
When someone is interested in something and has questions about it.
18. retrospective (noun)
An art exhibition that shows art work from an artist's whole career.
19. To step into (phrasal verb)
To enter