Was the BBC interview with Andrew Marr misleadin?
The British Artist David Hockney, 74 has denied slagging off Damien Hirst for hiring assistants to produce his works for him. In an interview with Andrew Marr in the Radio Times Hockney stated; that the practice was “a little insulting to craftsmen”. However, the Royal Academy of Arts, which is mounting a major Hockney exhibition later this month, issued a statement today saying,The artist “has not made any comments which imply criticism of another artist’s working practices”, it pointed out that, Marr wrote Hockney was “critical of artists with no craft, who delegate the making”. He highlighted a poster for the exhibition which read “All the works here were made by the artist himself, personally” was a dig at Hirst. “It’s a little insulting to craftsmen, skilful craftsmen.” Hockney told Marr. “I used to point out at art school, you can teach the craft, it’s the poetry you can’t teach. But now they try to teach the poetry and not the craft.”
This was widely reported as a rebuke to Hirst. But the Royal Academy has said Hockney’s views were taken out of context and that the criticism “did not happen”. They added; “The Royal Academy wishes to make it clear that, contrary to some recent press reports, David Hockney has not made any comments which imply criticism of another artist’s working practices,” the statement said. “Nor are there any words to this effect on the poster promoting his forthcoming exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts.” The line “All the works here were made by the artist himself, personally” was on Hockney’s gallery wall but not on a poster for the exhibition, the spokeswoman said.
Hockney, is a flamboyant artist known for his strong opinions. It might just appear that the BBC’s Andrew Marr was leading him to make comments that he just didnt feel. Often for the sake oofhas prepared a series of new landscape paintings of his beloved East Yorkshire for the Royal Academy show, which opens on 21 January.
David Hockney was born on July 9, 1937, in Bradford, England. He later went to Bradford Grammar School, Bradford College of Art and the Royal College of Art in London, where he met R. B. Kitaj. While still a student at the Royal College of Art, Hockney was featured in the exhibition Young Contemporaries alongside Peter Blake that announced the arrival of British Pop Art.
“The effect of having the huge, winter trees on three walls of one gallery is slightly overwhelming. Hockney is a vocal advocate of new technology but he said painting was alive and well, it was photography that was dying”.
Damien Hirst was born in Bristol in 1965. He studied Fine Art at Goldsmiths, University of London from 1986 to 1989 and is considered by many to be the leading figure of the group known as “Young British Artists”. The YBAs are characterized by their entrepreneurial spirit, independence and their ability to manipulate the media.
Hirst dominated the art scene in Britain during the 1990s. His early career was closely linked with the collector Charles Saatchi, however over the last few years Hirst has distanced himself from this association. Hirst’s work explores the uncertainty at the core of human experience; love, life, death, loyalty and betrayal. His work has been exhibited widely,in Britain, the USA, Australia, and Europe. Work is included in many public and private collections. He was awarded the Turner Prize in 1995