Art Museum displays work of British pop artist

Printmaker. Set designer. Photographer.

British pop artist David Hockney is a jack of all trades whose work is now being shown at the IU Art Museum.

Two new acquisitions pieces will join three previously acquired pieces in the museum’s collection of Hockney’s art. These images, on display from June 12 to Oct. 21, are featured in the Gallery of the Art of the Western World on the first floor of the museum.

The first piece is an inkjet printed computer drawing entitled “Paul and Margaret Hockney” that was created in 2009. The portrait is of his brother and sister, and features the artists’ siblings sitting alongside one another immersed in their personal digital assistant.

“I think it’s really interesting and relevant. You see people like that all the time, on their phones or smart devices,” said Nan Brewer, curator of works on paper for the Art Museum.

The second piece in the installation was created in 1982 and is a portrait of Hockney’s mother entitled “Mother Sleeping, Los Angeles.”

Brewer noted that Hockney is also famous for his collages.

“Most history of photography books mention his work in this area,” she said.

In addition to the pieces on display at the museum, the IU Cinema will screen a 60-minute documentary “David Hockney: A Bigger Picture” on Aug. 4.  The Art Museum will also hold the gallery talk, “Focus on Hockney,” before the screening of the documentary.

-- Caitlin Ryan