“You really have to look”

Looking, Hockney-style

'Flat' from the camera

"You really have to look" was what came over clearly in the BBC Culture Show Special on Hockney, 'The Art of Seeing'

Hockney has an ethos which I subscribe to whole-heartedly - looking. Over the past year, one of the main driving forces behind my posts, has been to bring things... anything, little things, important things to general attention, rather than being overlooked. I can spend hours 'out in the field', looking, observing, watching. It might be people, places, happenings, wildlife, or my favourite thing, light. The latter can add a magic to all of the other elements and without it, many things would either not be seen at all or just be seemingly mundane. It is when things appear mundane, they become overlooked - but they shouldn't be.
Remember recently,
The pile of apples (post)
The sun dog (post)
The red feet (post)
They were all things that were posted because I had been looking. Not everyone might find these posts thrilling or exciting but if just one person spent a little time looking as a result, then it has all been worth it.

I can't admit that I had been seeing colour quite the way Hockney does though, but I will certainly be looking harder from now on. As a photographer, I do seek to portray realism in my images rather than being illustrative, so my interpretation of 'the tunnel' above is in praise of, what can only be described as his colourful work. A couple of weeks ago I was fortunate to acquire tickets to his landmark exhibition at the RA. Unfortunately it was unbearably busy which did detract from the enjoyment somewhat but don't be deterred. If you need some colour to cheer you at the end of these Winter months, I can't recommend 'A Bigger Picture' enough.