This sagging, shuffling, sniveling column writer was, at last, planning to take a week off from his duties — first one in, like forever. But I couldn’t do it.
Unsuspectingly, I went to see the David Hockney art show at the Manship Artists Residency in Lanesville. Told it was must-see; I was missing the Patriots/Bills game and went not particularly enthused. Planning just a “drive-by,” this spectator ended up musing and perusing every single piece by this amazing artist and left a true fan. Plus, the Pats were able to win without me!
The Manship Gallery is set up in an old barn, the space and layout of which seems expressly designed for Hockney’s talents. What didn’t this artist dabble in? His use of severe color and the bridging of multiple eras of design ethos run rings around your expectations of contemporary art. Never a big fan of contemporary art, he won me over. Most impressive were his opera posters for just about every major opera company in the centers of Europe. Incredible simplicity, juxtaposed with mystery, a dash of tradition, a re-interpretive view of time, space and distance produced poster after poster that boggled the mind. But not splashy or unnecessary or art-for-art’s-sake, they take you out of time looking though them. His six New Yorker covers — most fairly recent — were classics. Those came though our kitchen over the last five years but who knew they were him? Some I remembered from then, but again, who knew?
The collection was curated by Gloucester’s own Bing McGilvray, a long-time pal of Hockney’s. The show has one more weekend of viewing, from 1-5 p.m.. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, closing Oct 18. This is why I had to write this column now, to give you all a last opportunity to see it. The show is too good to miss.
Hockney also designed opera and theater sets for major European opera productions. Surreal, dark, but evocative of mystery and drama that operas so deeply strive for.
He was clearly in demand, judging from the dates on his posters that string together a tight design schedule. The sets are as different from each other as the posters are.
For all the differing disciplines he undertook, the layout and the pacing of McGilvray’s choices bring the width of Hockney’s artistic endeavors to the fore as much as the depth. He definitely worked in a lot of mediums.
So, if you have a hankering for pleasant surprises with no sense of self importance by the gallery, take in the show. The color, skill and variety will amaze. Bing is perpetually there if you want to discuss anything — he is a walking Hockney resource, plus he lived through a ton of it as Hockney’s pal. The artist died only recently but it feels as if he’s walking the room with you, “Yeah … I like that one too,” he seems to be saying. “I remember doing that one before a huge blizzard and I was out of milk.”
Manship is in Lanesville. So important that when something local is this good that you folks can have an opportunity to check it out. It’s free, it’s the real item and it’s, sadly, soon to be gone.
I wish I’d dragged my 8-year-granddaughter to see it, who is a fabulous young painter who splurges on color. What an influence these are.
Also wish I’d gotten there sooner, to warn you sooner. But you can still get there in time! Parking is limited so make a reservation at manshipartists.org/hockney-reproductions.
Gloucester resident Gordon Baird is an actor and musician, co-founder of Musician Magazine and producer of “The Chicken Shack” community access TV show.