Hockney's Eye - Critic Badge

Seeing an exhibition wasn't on the original plan for a brief visit to Cambridge on Friday - a friend told me about it just before I left home and I'm so glad she did.

I was surprised not only to be able to get tickets for a time that suited me but also the fact that they were free. As a Londoner, I'm used to free access to world class museums and galleries but expect to pay for major exhibitions so it was a real bonus.

This exhibition was different to any other I've seen because of the layout. Rather than dedicating a few rooms to his work, the Fitzwilliam displayed Hockney's works throughout the art galleries (some being in the Hoeng Gallery within Downing College - a ten minute walk away, providing you don't get lost) alongside Old Masters, creating contrast and comparison. Hockney's art education was quite formal, something he may not have always appreciated as a young man, but the value of which he now appreciates. So to see his works alongside those Old Masters says something to me of how artists learn from studying each other, which I find interesting.

The stand out works for me are two paintings : Self Portrait, 19th April 2012; and Le Parc des Sources, Vichy. There were several examples of technology showing the processes of his work and these were clear crowd pleasers.

It was a treat to be able to explore Hockney's Eye which the overcrowded shuffle that is the blight of so many (paid) exhibitions. I didn't make it to the Hoeng - we got lost and ended up in a pub. You've got till the end of August to see it - I highly recommend it as well as Cambridge's many watering holes.