Exhibition: ‘David Hockney: The World Is Beautiful’

“What interests me is looking, thinking in a simple way. And when you do that, you touch people. Everyone looks, but the question is to what degree of intensity you’re prepared to do so. ” Freddie Mercury and Elton John are among the millions of people touched by David Hockney’s work. In the exhibition *Freddie Mercury: Never Say Goodbye*, a portrait by the painter is on display. When I heard of his passing on 11 June, I felt compelled to pay tribute to him. So here are sixteen photographs accompanied by his words. David Hockney is, first and foremost, a style. An unforgettable accent. Bleached hair. Bursts of laughter. A cigarette. And the dachshunds. Then comes the essence: a generous body of work, given over to movement and colour. Hockney blue. Joy. Beauty. David Hockney seeks sincerity in the countryside, in every hill, every flower, every tree. Every story. Nature nourishes his creative intent: ‘A painting is something made with paint. Something that depicts something. It’s an attempt. It isn’t always reality, but reality is complex… You have to look! You can’t go for a jog at the same time. If you really look, the world is beautiful.” Learning to open your eyes. Shedding light on the art of seeing: “It’s a global problem; people are blind.” In the 2000s, he shook up the art world by making his iPad the main tool for his new paintings: ‘My father taught me not to worry too much about what other people say. That’s not a working-class attitude; it’s rather aristocratic. ” His work will always shed light on narratives of nature. And on those of humankind: “When you stand before the Grand Canyon, the sense of space creates a certain tension. It stems from the fact that you are faced with a space that is both finite and infinite. I sat there and contemplated that abyss. As my gaze wandered, I felt that everyone is inevitably confronted with this question: what is space? A friend looked at my painting of the Grand Canyon and murmured: ‘That must be the path to paradise.’ That’s very lovely. As for my sister, she thinks that space is God. I like that.” Enjoy your visit! David Lawrence. This exhibition is part of the ‘Freddie Mercury: Never Say Goodbye’ exhibition, on display at the Lagoy Hotel in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence from 4 July 2026 Accessible to people with reduced mobility