The Election Campaign
Signed Print

Showing a politician giving a speech, while two shadowy figures look on, The Election Campaign is notable in this series for the absence of the figure of David Hockney. Throughout his version of A Rake’s Progress – which details his first visit to the city of New York – he can be seen as an observer or protagonist, easily recognisable thanks to his round glasses. Here the focus is instead turned on the figure of the man in a suit who is accompanied by two speech bubbles; the first in red, asks the audience to vote on primary day and appears to contain the usual generalisations and pontifications we have come to expect from political speeches, as signified by Hockney with the inclusion of ‘etc. etc. etc. …’ The other speech bubble is somewhat more sinister however, its words obscured by a cross hatching of black ink, suggesting the ‘dark message’ of the title which perhaps refers to a nefarious subtext or dishonesty in the politician’s words. In the foreground the two silhouetted figures listen, heads bowed, perhaps out of necessity or perhaps from a lack of anything better to do – a sign on the right indicates the bar is closed.