Framed David Hockney Exhibition invite card, Knoedler Gallery, London 1985

 Wider Perspectives are Needed Now Exhibition 1985

About

Significance of the exhibition:

David Hockney’s "Wider Perspectives Are Needed Now" exhibition in 1985 is significant for several reasons — artistically, conceptually, and historically. It marks a turning point in both Hockney’s artistic evolution and contemporary approaches to visual perception and perspective in Western art.

Here’s a breakdown of why it matters:

1. Rejection of Traditional Perspective

Hockney was increasingly critical of the single-point linear perspective dominant since the Renaissance, which he felt was:

• Too restrictive
• Unnatural for how we actually see
• More like a camera than human vision

In "Wider Perspectives Are Needed Now," Hockney deliberately broke these rules, often using:

• Multiple vanishing points
• Collage-like compositions
• Composite Polaroids and photocollages
• Chinese scroll-like horizontal movemen

2. Incorporation of Photography and Cubism

In the early 1980s, Hockney was heavily experimenting with photo collages ("joiners") — a way of showing simultaneity and movement over time.

The exhibition emphasized:

• Seeing from multiple viewpoints
• Flattened planes and temporal shifts
• The viewer’s active role in making sense of space

This echoes ideas from Cubism but with a photographic twist.

 3. Philosophical and Theoretical Underpinnings

The title "Wider Perspectives Are Needed Now" isn’t just about art — it’s a conceptual critique of narrow thinking, both in visual culture and society. Hockney implied:

• Art needs to move beyond rigid Western conventions
• Perception is fluid, subjective, and non-linear
• Wider perspectives = more humane, inclusive, and open ways of seeing and thinking

4. Bridge Between East and West

Hockney admired Chinese painting, especially scrolls that allow the viewer to travel through time and space horizontally. This approach deeply influenced the exhibition:

• Encouraging movement
• Breaking the "frozen moment" of traditional Western painting

5. Institutional Impact

The exhibition, shown in major galleries like the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and others, challenged curators and critics to re-evaluate:

• The place of photography in fine art
• The rigid hierarchy of artistic media
• Modern vs. postmodern visual logic