Front Row Review: David Hockney in Normandy, and Asako Yuzuki's new novel
Mar 12, 2026
Sarah Crompton, theatre critic and arts writer, and Ben Luke, art critic for the Art Newspaper, discuss David Hockney’s Serpentine show and its ninety-metre iPad frieze. They debate presentation and technique, weigh Hockney’s portraits against his digital work, and explore show highlights. They also touch on novels, a tense film about wartime food tasters, and writing tips from a short‑story judge.
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Portrait Sitters Include Partner Friend And Carer
- The five portrait sitters include Hockney's partner, friends and a carer who wears a badge reading 'end bossiness soon', a detail now sold in the gift shop.
- Sarah found the portraits full of vitality and humanity, with vivid gingham cloths and patterned wallpapers enlivening each sitter.
iPad Paintings Read Well From Afar But Fall Apart Up Close
- Close inspection exposes iPad works' limitations: brush marks can feel ready-made and blurry, with branches sometimes appearing to float.
- Ben prefers physical paintings because decades of practiced brushwork carry palpable muscle memory missing in the digital sketches.
Curiosity Drives Hockney's Late Career Experiments
- Hockney's artistic drive is rooted in curiosity and constant experimentation with new technologies, from fax to iPad, even when tools frustrate him.
- His aim is to create 'new ways of seeing' that produce new feelings and sustained engagement in late career.
