Hockney: New documentary hits Denver this month

Last year’s rich and energetic doc about social climber and art collector Peggy Guggenheim was spirited and intriguing. Randall Wright’s new documentary, Hockney, proves a smart and endearing watch that deftly avoids gushing or being precious.

Still productive at age 77, David Hockney is eloquent and intelligent. His story of a London art school rebel who finds spirit and inspiration in America is a treat. Hockney’s artwork, outlook, and methods are beautifully integrated with his personal story. I was most familiar with Hockney’s paintings from the 1970s in California, but the scope and evolution of his body of work takes center stage. The gigantic scale of many pieces is astounding, something not conveyed by greeting cards and bookplates. Pieces are examined in beautiful detail and the screen pulses with their color and motion. With added insight from the artist himself, his best-known works gain meaning — very much what is wanted from a documentary about an artist.

Robbie Collin wrote in The Telegraph: “The light is Californian, the energy European, the figure unmistakably Yorkshire. Jumble the three together and Hockney is the only thing you could possibly get.”

Early interviews with Hockney, as well as anecdotes and gossip from family, friends, artists, and models help flesh out the picture of a reserved young artist who becomes fascinated, launching his own self-discovery. Plumped by Hockney’s personal photos and home videos, this documentary is very accessible. Rather than artsy or snobbish, it feels uplifting and buoyant. Gravity and honesty are injected when addressing how AIDS dramatically impacted Hockney’s circle of friends. Both the man and artist are cherished and respected, but this is no hagiography.

Hockney comes across as energetic, intensely observant, and always thoughtful; there’s no indication he is self-impressed or officious. Hockney is a wonderful portrait of a gay man — his success, personality, and work — and how the emergence of homosexuality at personal and societal levels informed his work.

Hockney opens Friday, April 29 at Landmark Theatres. Location and showtimes at LandmarkTheaters.com.