Red Celia, from the series Moving Focus

David Hockney created the Moving Focus series of twenty-nine prints from 1984 through 1986. In contrast to most print series, in which there is usually a cohesion of subject matter, style, and size, the Moving Focus prints include interiors, chairs, vases with flowers, views from a Mexican hotel, and portraits, all of varying sizes. What unifies the series is the artist’s obsession with the depiction of space: the use of reverse perspective, the experience of being within a space, and the exploration of multipoint perspective. This series has been described as “Hockney’s dialogue with Picasso.” Red Celia is a portrait of Celia Birtwell, a close friend and favorite model. One of the most direct and powerful images of the series, the pose and execution of this print recall Matisse more than Picasso, and maybe a reference to the friendly rivalry between the two artists.

Multiplicity, 2011