David Hockney: Pieced Together – A New Era at the National Science and Media Museum

Overview

The National Science and Media Museum reopens with David Hockney: Pieced Together, an inaugural temporary exhibition celebrating the Bradford-born artist’s innovative use of photography and film. This exhibition delves into Hockney’s groundbreaking techniques and his exploration of perspective, time, and scale through visual media.

Exhibition Highlights

• The Four Seasons, Woldgate Woods: A video installation capturing the East Riding of Yorkshire’s Woldgate Woods across the seasons. Displayed on multiple screens, it provides a composite view of a country lane through Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter.
• Joiner Photocollages: Early works showcasing Hockney’s experimental ‘joiner’ technique, including two pieces from the museum’s collection. One depicts the museum in its original incarnation as the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television (1985) and is displayed publicly for the first time in 25 years.

Hockney’s Innovation in Art and Technology

While widely known for his paintings, Hockney has consistently embraced new technologies to expand artistic boundaries. His ‘joiner’ photocollages from the 1970s and 1980s challenged traditional photographic representation, combining multiple viewpoints to create a richer, more dynamic depiction of reality. As Hockney observed, “The joiners were much closer to the way we actually look at things, closer to the truth of the experience.”

In recent years, Hockney has extended this approach to video and digital mediums, notably the iPad. The Four Seasons, Woldgate Woods mirrors the joiner method by stitching together nine video perspectives for each season, creating an immersive installation that surrounds the viewer.

Special Events and Screenings

To complement the exhibition, Pictureville Cinema will host a series of screenings:

• Opening Weekend: Screenings of Hockney (2014), introduced by Kate Burnett, the exhibition’s Interpretation Developer, and A Bigger Splash (1973).
• Artists on Film Strand: A specially curated selection of films to conclude the exhibition in May.

Comments from the Museum Director

“Reopening the museum with this remarkable exhibition feels incredibly fitting. Bradford born, world-renowned artist David Hockney has continually pushed the boundaries of art, including in his pioneering approach to photography and film. David Hockney: Pieced Together provides a unique opportunity to experience this lesser-seen side to his work, including two of his iconic joiners from the museum’s collection – on display for the first time in 25 years. One of these joiners, created by Hockney of the museum when it first opened, weaves a lovely connection between his art and the museum itself. Showcasing Hockney’s groundbreaking work through his Bradford roots makes it the perfect exhibition to begin 2025 with, marking an exciting chapter in our history.”