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This is called a photocollage rather than a photomontage, because it is more three-dimensional than a montage tends to be.
Hockney first use photography as a preparation for his paintings. But during the 1970's his photography gained an independent role in his work. Using 35mm commercially processed color prints, Hockney created photocollages, which he calls "joiners" until the mid-1980's. He compiled them to create a 'complete' picture from a series of individually photographed details.
In the 1980's, Hockney primarily exprimented with the Polaroid camera, making composite image of photographs arranged in a rectangular grid. His collage technique explores the mysteries and nuances between natural and camera vision.
Although his subject matter ranges from portraiture to still life and his style ranges from representation to abstraction, Hockney uses photography to examine our perception of reality. Many of his photocollages incorporate family, friends, his own residence, the pool, his dogs and the California and Arizona landscape.
His work has strong links with Cubism. Hockney reflected extensively on this process as connecting to the Cubist sense of multiple angles and especially of movement. These "multiples" convey a strong sense of movement. Hockney indicated that you the viewer keeps adjusting your imagined viewpoint as your eye travels from print to print. This means that you can build up a single image that is many times wider in angle to view than the camera lens can capture. The portrait of his mother illustrates this technique at close range. We see her at lots of different viewpoints all at once as our eye moves from print to print.
Hockney first use photography as a preparation for his paintings. But during the 1970's his photography gained an independent role in his work. Using 35mm commercially processed color prints, Hockney created photocollages, which he calls "joiners" until the mid-1980's. He compiled them to create a 'complete' picture from a series of individually photographed details.
In the 1980's, Hockney primarily exprimented with the Polaroid camera, making composite image of photographs arranged in a rectangular grid. His collage technique explores the mysteries and nuances between natural and camera vision.
Although his subject matter ranges from portraiture to still life and his style ranges from representation to abstraction, Hockney uses photography to examine our perception of reality. Many of his photocollages incorporate family, friends, his own residence, the pool, his dogs and the California and Arizona landscape.
His work has strong links with Cubism. Hockney reflected extensively on this process as connecting to the Cubist sense of multiple angles and especially of movement. These "multiples" convey a strong sense of movement. Hockney indicated that you the viewer keeps adjusting your imagined viewpoint as your eye travels from print to print. This means that you can build up a single image that is many times wider in angle to view than the camera lens can capture. The portrait of his mother illustrates this technique at close range. We see her at lots of different viewpoints all at once as our eye moves from print to print.