David Hockney: A Bigger Picture

Bruno Wollheim's documentary offers an unusually intimate portrait of one of Britain's most important contemporary artists. The writer-director was given unprecedented access after the painter returned from a long residence in California to his native Yorkshire in Britain. Much of the footage, filmed over a three-year span, simply records David Hockney turning out an incredible number of area landscapes, pausing periodically to comment on the light. Interwoven throughout these sequences are excerpts from interviews with the artist. While A Bigger Picture may not be a conventional biography, Hockney's observations, coupled with comments from his sister (who also talks about their relationship with their parents), afford insight into his life as well as his art. Special focus is placed on the creation of his largest work, Bigger Trees Near Water, a 15-by-40-foot view of a Yorkshire coppice painted on 50 individual canvases—combined to produce a single huge picture that Hockney donated to the Tate Gallery in London. In all, the film affords a splendid glimpse into the mind of a significant figure in the world of modern art while providing a fascinating record of his creative process. DVD extras include a trio of featurettes, and an interview with Hockney. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)