David Hockney Critiques Contemporary Art's Abstraction Focus in New Serpentine Exhibition

Artist David Hockney, aged 88, has expressed concern about the prevalence of abstract painting in current art during an interview from his Kensington studio. He discussed his exhibition 'A Year in Normandie and Some Other Thoughts About Painting' at London's Serpentine Gallery, running through August 23. The show features a 300-foot frieze of iPad drawings depicting seasonal changes in his Normandy garden, emphasizing representational art as a contrast to abstraction. Hockney stated that painting must depict subjects and cannot be replaced by photography. The exhibition includes portraits and still lifes referencing abstract artists while maintaining figurative elements, and draws inspiration from the Bayeux Tapestry while focusing on nature rather than conflict.