As Bradford celebrates its City of Culture year, what better time to pay tribute to David Hockney, one of its most famous sons and arguably Britain’s greatest living artist. Pieced Together is a temporary exhibition in Gallery 2 on the National Science and Media Museum’s second floor and ties in with the 20 Flowers for 2025 and Some Bigger Pictures exhibition at Salts Mill in Saltaire, near Bradford.
Hockney’s innovative methods
Both displays showcase Hockney’s status as an innovator, as both feature his extensive use of video installations to capture the majesty of Woldgate Woods, near his previous home in Bridlington.
Although Hockney now lives in France, he took the time to document the changing seasons in the Yorkshire Wolds from Summer 2010 to Spring 2011. The effect was created by attaching nine cameras to the front of a van in a three-by-three grid formation, and as the van drove slowly down the lane, Hockney sat inside and operated the cameras by remote control. He decided where to focus and how to fit the individual shots together. The 36 slowly shifting camera perspectives result in four breathtaking journeys into the Yorkshire countryside.
Luscious green leaves fall to the forest floor, which is then carpeted with thick snow, before a joyous rebirth as the endless cycle begins again. In the accompanying commentary, Hockney jokes that he has bettered Avatar – as James Cameron’s blockbuster was only in 3D, whereas he uses 9D. Although this is not literally true, the immersive visuals he creates make for a more realistic and absorbing experience.
Hockney’s signature style
The exhibition also includes another example of Hockney’s preferred collage – or as he calls it “joiner” style of artistic composition, as he does not think that a flat image conveys the whole message that he is trying to get across. By taking several photographs of the same scene or by capturing a subject’s different facial expressions, he can overlap the pictures to create a greater sense of meaning. This mimics real life, as each viewer looks at different parts of the scene for differing amounts of time and may infer a different meaning from it.
The joiner collages feature the exterior of the museum in 1985, showing the changing face of central Bradford. They also depict Hockney’s beloved mother Laura at Bolton Abbey in 1982 which, being medieval, looks exactly the same as it does now.
Harnessing technology
As he was also harnessing the latest technology then, he visited the local one-hour photo shop in the Kirkgate Centre to develop the pictures. The shop is no longer there; a fate which is soon to befall the Kirkgate Centre itself, as the site is set to be developed for housing. But Britain’s changing retail landscape or the ephemeral nature of technology is a subject for another article or perhaps a new Hockney exhibition!
The 20 Flowers for 2025 and Some Bigger Pictures exhibition at Salts Mill, is a series of flower paintings that Hockney has created using an iPad, alongside some larger scale works. He was one of the first artists to recognise the benefits of using this technology, realising that the different apps allow him to create artworks quickly and while on the move. His experiments have legitimised the use of digital platforms to create art as he has used this medium to create portraits, landscapes and even stained-glass designs.
Visiting the Hockney exhibitions
David Hockney: Pieced Together is being held at the National Science and Media Museum, Princes Way, Bradford BD1 1NQ until 18 May 2025. Tickets are ‘pay as you feel’ with a suggested donation of £1 per person and they can be booked in advance from the museum’s website. You can also download a large print guide and audio and visual transcripts about the exhibition from the website.
The 20 Flowers for 2025 and Some Bigger Pictures exhibition is being held at Salts Mill, Victoria Road, Saltaire, West Yorkshire BD18 3LA until 4 January 2026. It is free to enter but please refer to their website for exact opening times.
Completists may also wish to visit the David Hockney Gallery, a permanent exhibition dedicated to the artist at Cartwright Hall within Lister Park, Manningham, Bradford BD9 4NS. It is free to enter and showcases his early work and life in Bradford, with more details via their website.
Inspiring the next generation of artists
Artists who have been inspired by Hockney or other creatives can submit their work to DRAW! a UK-wide drawing competition, which forms a key part of the Bradford 2025 offer and legacy. Hockney has endorsed the project and has joined other artists in supplying a monthly theme. Entry is free.
