When the Los Angeles gallery hosting David Hockney’s latest exhibition posted this shot of the artist and music legend Joni Mitchell, the internet went crazy. Why? The New York Times found 13 Reasons the image caused such a sensation. Among them:
Because Mr. Hockney is wonderfully attired in his singular and exuberant way: unstructured blue jacket, lime green cardigan, knit tie of alternating pink-and-red stripes, tweed flat cap and pink polka-dot pocket square. Because Ms. Mitchell is dressed in what looked like queen’s raiment: a navy blue and yellow fringed steam-stretch sweater from the designer Yoshiyuki Miyamae’s fall 2018 collection for Issey Miyake, a show one critic likened to “Dune” meets “Game of Thrones.” –NYTimes
But really, we all know, it’s because they’re both famous, she hasn’t been seen in public in quite some time, he’s 81, she’s 75, they’re so cute, and – as the Times also put it – because the photo “flashed onto screens as a blur of sunny, ecstatic color in an otherwise bleak season.” Hockney is on exhibit in several places at the moment, including the L.A. Louver gallery where the photo was taken (below).
Hockney, one of the world’s most recognized artists, is also on exhibit in Amsterdam. That show explores common ground between the work of Hockney and Vincent van Gogh. It’s the first time the British artist’s work has been shown in the Netherlands.
Lots more information on David Hockney, on his website, here.
Previous Art Junkie posts on Hockney:
His iPhone paintings, here.
Major exhibition in Spain, here.
The Tate exhibition, London, here.
Joni Mitchell, official website, here.
And if you still want more, here is a beautifully done David Hockney trailer for the Amsterdam exhibit.
Categories: Painting
Canadian Art Junkie 
The subjects and the fleeting image captured convey a joie de vivre which cannot be restrained by advancing years The zest for life has been with them through their existence exhibited by their works as visual and performing artists. As regards the pathos of aging let’s complete the Holy Trinity with an excerpt from the literary arts Dylan ( Thomas not Bob) –
“Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light.”
As to Hockney and Joni having a romantic relationship surely Platonic ! A true meeting of interests, minds and mutual passion for painting. Joni in her well catalogued search for Love
” You like roses and kisses and pretty men to tell you All those pretty lies, pretty lies ”
exhibits all the traits of being a serial heterosexual.
Hockney from his earliest days never came out as he was never in – an unflinching Homosexual of the Quentin Crisp school.
Still a brilliant Odd Couple that shine on.
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I have mixed emotions over this post. I think they are both wonderful, as are their bodies of work, but I hold their youthful pictures in my mind. It’s a blow to see them aging. And even while I know that’s ridiculous, it still hurts.
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Not ridiculous. I get that. Thanks for sharing the mixed emotions, which I’ll bet are shared by others.
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WONDERFUL PHOTO of them, as you say! Nice to see older couples still in love and holding hands. I’m still looking for “my” Prince Charming, hope he is out there. Thanks for the big smile today! 🙂
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Thank you.
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