David Hockney Criticises Gerhard Richter In A Second Scathing Attack

David Hockney

David Hockney has made it clear that his opinion of the work of Gerhard Richter is not going to change any time soon, and it seems that the great British artist really doesn’t like the work. Hockney delivered another attack regarding the work of the famous German painter in an interview printed in the July issue of the German-language publication Monopol Magazin.

Hockney spoke extensively about his own artistic practice, the artist’s current projects, and the future of painting when the interviewer’s questions inevitably turned towards the expectant subject of German painting. Of course once the subject had been steered in this direction Richter’s name came up, and Hockey was more than forthcoming on the subject.

“To be honest, I don’t really understand Richter,” Hockney stated. “The pictures are quite nice, but also a little like the belle peinture from Paris in the 50s.”

And just to make clarify the artist’s statements Hockney decided to clarify: “And I mean that pejoratively.”

Hockney then continued, elaborating on the subject, saying “I just cant see any profundity. He always makes the same stuff with the squeegee, which is okay, but I don’t see what’s so great about it.” The British art star made a similar statement in a conversation with the Guardian in May of this year. Where he again questioned the value of Richter’s canvasses stating: “I just don’t understand why they’re $24 million,” the artist said at the time.

But Hockney doesn’t feel the same way about all German painters, having positive things to say about Richter’s contemporaries Sigmar Polke and Anselm Kiefer, where the artist professed his admiration for both. Hockney also praised the young artist Matthias Weischer and the Leipziger Schule movement. “The Germans have always had good painters,” he concluded.

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