This is the first time that David Hockney’s series of 20 iPad flower paintings and accompanying large-scale landscape and abstract works – “new looking fresh pictures of a very beautiful world”, as the artist says – have been exhibited in the UK outside of London. We are so lucky that they are being exhibited at Salts Mill and that we were able to incorporate a visit, to coincide with our day out in Bradford.
Of creating the 20 Flowers Mr Hockney has said: “I started these flowers in February 2021. I was just sitting at the table in our house and I caught sight of some flowers in a vase on the table. Being February the sun was low casting a deep shadow on the table. I decided to draw it, the background was dark so I made a rich brown for it. After printing it I put it on the far wall facing the table. There it stayed for a few days. It looked very beautiful to me. A few days later I started another from the same position with the same ceramic vase, this took longer to do. Then I realised if I put the flowers in a glass vase the sun would catch the water and painting glass would be a more interesting thing to do. So then I was off.”
To continue our David Hockney themed afternoon, we had coffee and cake in the wonderful Café in to the Opera, on the third floor of Salts Mill. We usally eat in Salts Diner, so this was a bit of a departure, and we really enjoyed it. Café in to the Opera features David Hockney’s Punchinello mural with many other original works specially painted by the artist for the Café.
To round off our day out we browsed the excellent selection of books in both Salts Mill bookshops. A really lovely day!