MONADNOCK OPEN STUDIO ART TOUR WEEKEND 2026
In honor of the recent passing of David Hockney, we bring back one of our all-time favorite Exhibition on Screen documentaries.
Tickets $18 or ACS Pass
DAVID HOCKNEY AT THE ROYAL ACADEMY OF ARTS is a vibrant, intimate cinematic portrait of one of the most celebrated and influential British artists of the modern era. Directed by Phil Grabsky as part of the acclaimed Exhibition on Screen series, the 2017 documentary takes audiences inside two landmark Royal Academy exhibitions: David Hockney: A Bigger Picture (2012), with its dazzling large-scale landscapes inspired by the Yorkshire countryside, and 82 Portraits and 1 Still-life (2016), an extraordinary collection capturing friends, family and figures from Hockney’s world. Through privileged access to the exhibitions and revealing conversations with Hockney conducted by Royal Academy Artistic Director Tim Marlow, the film offers the rare pleasure of hearing a great artist explain, in his own words, how he looks at the world and transforms what he sees into art.
At once thoughtful, colorful and wonderfully accessible, the film captures Hockney’s seemingly inexhaustible curiosity as he continues experimenting with perspective, portraiture, photography, painting and new technology well into his eighties. Critics responded warmly. The Guardian called it an “illuminating documentary portrait” and described Hockney as an “ever-enthusiastic, always curious figure.” The Oxford Times praised the film as “Enchanting & enlightening,”while GQ celebrated its “privileged access to Hockney’s creativity.” The Boston Globe noted that “Hockney has many interesting things to say, and not just about his own work.” The result is more than a guided tour through two blockbuster exhibitions: it is an engaging encounter with the wit, intelligence and creative energy of an artist who never stopped looking, questioning and reinventing the way we see.