David Hockney Collection To Be Exhibited In Firle Next Month

A collection of rarely seen drawings by one of our most popular and recognisable artists goes on display at Charleston in Firle from September 23.

‘Love Life’, is a collection of rarely seen drawings by one of the most popular and recognisable artists of our time. The exhibition will be shown in the Wolfson Gallery at Charleston in Firle from September 23 to March 10, 2024, offering visitors the opportunity to get a close-up look at Hockney's early works.

In 2017, prior to the opening of a retrospective exhibition at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, David Hockney (b.1937) painted the words ‘Love Life’ on the final wall of the show.

Explaining his actions, he said:

"I love my work. And I think the work has love, actually … I love life. I write it at the end of letters – ‘Love life, David Hockney.”

Organisers say the exhibition showcases a "remarkable series of drawings that encapsulate David Hockney's love for life and his profound connection with the world around him".

During the formative stages of his career, Hockney's "artistic brilliance" manifested through his ability to capture the essence of his subjects with remarkable economy, using pencil, coloured crayon, and pen and ink.

Visitors to the exhibition will find Hockney's depictions of everyday objects, still lifes and architectural works. From a box of matches on a table to bunches of spring onions and leeks, Hockney's works "exemplify his ability to find beauty in the more intimate and seemingly ordinary aspects of life. Whether capturing the character of his subjects, or rendering furniture and empty spaces with sensitivity and wit, Hockney's drawings capture a depth of emotion that cannot be easily replicated in grand painted portraits".

The exhibition is organised by the Holburne Museum, Bath. With many of Hockney’s drawings on loan from private collections, ‘Love Life’ is a wonderful way to enjoy his artistry, as curator, Chris Stephens asserts:

"I am so excited to present this wonderful show of master drawings, some well-known and some rarely seen. I have long believed David Hockney to be one of the greatest draughtsmen of all time and I consider his drawings of the later 60s and 70s to be among the greatest works by him and, for that matter, by anyone else.” 

Nathaniel Hepburn, Director and Chief Executive at Charleston says:

"Made over sixty years ago, Hockney's drawings of intimate moments still resonate with a freshness and joy. It’s wonderful to see these works at Charleston – a place where art and experimental thinking have always been placed at the centre of everyday life. Hockney's work exemplifies these ideals, finding beauty in the ordinary moments and creating a connection to audiences and the queer experience across the generations.”

Ian Giles’ ‘A Clear Comfort’, Saturday 23rd September

To mark the opening weekend of ‘Love Life’, Charleston is hosting artist Ian Giles’ performance ‘A Clear Comfort’ which engages with legacies of queer homemaking. Offering a rare opportunity to get inside Charleston’s house out-of-hours, this promenade performance will transport intimate audiences beyond the physical walls of Charleston and into the homes of pioneering queer artists such as filmmaker Derek Jarman’s ‘Prospect Cottage’ in Dungeness; American photographer Alice Austen’s home ‘Clear Comfort’ on Staten Island and trace the origins of House Music in gay clubs in 1970s Chicago. This event is commissioned and presented in partnership with Van Gogh House.

Opening concurrently with this exhibition is ‘Osman Yousefzada’. Osman’s practice revolves around modes of storytelling, merging autobiography with fiction and ritual. His work engages with experiences of migration, representation and belonging. The exhibition at Charleston explores a new body of textile work alongside works on paper, many of which are on public display for the first time.