Kweilin
Kweilin
Signed Print
David Hockney
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15 x 20cm, Photographic print
Meaning & Analysis
This signed photographic print, entitled Kweilin, is by British artist David Hockney. It was taken on a trip the artist made to China in the same year and depicts the English poet Stephen Spender.
This signed photographic print by British artist David Hockney, entitled Kweilin, was made in 1981 and is product of a trip Hockney made to China in the same year. During the trip, Hockney was accompanied by the English writer and poet, Stephen Spender, and friend, onetime partner and curator, Gregory Evans. In this image, Hockney’s camera focuses on Spender’s face as they take a boat trip along the Li River, home to some of the best examples of karst topography in the world. A member of the so-called Auden group, Spender was a personal friend of one of Hockney’s major literary influences, W.H. Auden (immortalised in the 1970 etching Auden), and Christopher Isherwood – another friend of Hockney’s close associates and subjects. During the trip, Hockney marked a return to the camera – a medium he has used extensively as both a visual guide for his paintings and as a means to challenge static and unifocal modes of representation, as in his Photo Collages collection– and painted a large number of watercolours. These media, he argued, allowed him to continue making artworks in short breaks in an otherwise busy travel schedule. Images captured and painted during the trip were compiled in the volume China Diary, compiled in 1982, and co-authored by Spender.
British-born artist David Hockney is a kaleidoscopic force in the art world. Born in 1937, Hockney's vibrant palette and innovative techniques have left an indelible mark on contemporary art. A pioneer of the British Pop Art movement in the 1960s, he seamlessly transitioned through various styles, from photo collages to vivid landscapes. Renowned for his exploration of light and space, Hockney's versatility extends to painting, printmaking, photography, and stage design. A captivating storyteller, his works often capture the essence of modern life with a playful yet profound touch. With a career spanning decades, Hockney remains an enduring visionary in the ever-evolving art world.
