© David Hockney
Liverpool artwork of the day – Wednesday September 12 2007. ‘Peter getting out of Nick’s pool’ 1966 David Hockney (born 1937) Acrylic on canvas, 152 x 152cm at Liverpool Walker Gallery
I really must go for a swim.
It was the Walker’s 130th Birthday last week!
In honour of this occasion, Director of Art Galleries, Reyahn King, has chosen her top ten art pieces from the Walker’s permanent collection, that represent the diverse collection of work at the gallery. This is one of the 10, a very good choice I think.
This cheeky painting won the 1967 John Moores competition.
In 1966 Hockney travelled to Los Angeles for the second time. Greatly attracted by the sunny climate and relaxed atmosphere of West Coast America, he began to record the lifestyle there in his work. He went on to produce a series of paintings based on the theme of the swimming pool.
Here, Hockney’s friend Peter Schlesinger is depicted climbing out of the swimming pool of Nick Wilder, a Los Angeles gallery owner. The painting is a composite view. Schlesinger did not actually model in the pool; the pose derives from a snapshot of him leaning against his MG sports car. The white border and square format of the painting are reminiscent of the Polaroid prints Hockney used as studies for the composition.
An extended study of ‘Peter getting out of Nick’s pool’ is available online as part of the Artwork of the Month series.