£2,450-£3,650Value Indicator
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35 x 43cm, Edition of 200, Etching
Medium: Etching
Edition size: 200
Year: 1977
Size: H 35cm x W 43cm
Signed: Yes
Format: Signed Print
Last Auction: February 2025
Value Trend:
AAGR (5 years) This estimate blends recent public auction records with our own private sale data and network demand.
TradingFloor
A Moving Still Life (1977) is a signed etching by David Hockney representing one of his many dialogues with the influential movements that shaped the history of modern art. In the vein of both surrealist and cubist artworks, the print brings together a display of geometrical forms, unrelated objects and colourful lines, questioning the idea of a faithful representation of reality in art. Hockney’s departure from naturalism around 1975 is said to have been inspired by his discovery of Wallace Stevens’ poem The Man With The Blue Guitar (1937) during a holiday on Fire Island. In it, Stevens explores the image of a man who ‘do[es] not play things as they are’. The central idea of the poem is the imaginative freedom, bringing to the forefront of art the subjective experience of reality instead of striving for a single, realistic viewpoint.
The display of geometrical forms towards the bottom of the image, an explicit reference to Cubism and Picasso’s fascination with fragmentation and abstraction, in particular signals Hockney’s need to embrace a new, imaginative vision. The artist commented in this context: “In a way, what I have been trying to move away from is a fixed viewpoint. Well, that kind of line drawing on the whole works because you feel it’s accurate, you feel the line has got the volume, or the line has got the person. The line is doing all the work. The viewer knows that. And somehow the way the line is used there I feel I’ve explored. I’d rather explore it another way now.”
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.