David Hockney
(2022) 

 

 Looking at the Flowers (Framed), 25th June 2022, is a limited edition photographic drawing by David Hockney, printed on paper and mounted on Dibond. The composition shows a close study of vibrant blooms arranged indoors, where rich colour contrasts and strong contours energise the scene. Hockney’s precise digital mark-making captures the freshness of cut flowers while the large scale heightens their sculptural presence within the frame.
 
Created in 2022 using digital photography and drawing techniques, this edition reflects Hockney’s continued pursuit of new tools to transform everyday subjects. He has noted that digital devices allow him to “draw without any fuss, just as fast as I can look,” a philosophy evident in the immediacy and clarity of this work. With only 35 editions at 108.5 x 188.5 cm, Looking at the Flowers sits at the centre of his contemporary practice and remains highly sought after on the secondary market.

Within the composition, Hockney is depicted twice - once on the right side of the scene, and once on the left - sitting in an armchair and looking upon his twenty flower still lifes displayed salon-style on a navy-blue wall. "This is photographic but is in no way an ordinary photograph," Hockney describes. "I had been doing what I called photographic drawings, giving a much more 3D effect. This is because you have to look at these through time (unlike an ordinary photograph which you see all at once)."

Looking at the flowers
Photographic drawing printed on paper, mounted on Dibond 
Edition of 35, 
108.5 x 188.5 cm
Private collection
https://geistmc.com/our-artists/david-hockney/20-flowers-and-some-bigger-pictures/looking-at-the-flowers-framed-2022/