Me sat outside Salts Mill. Years ago.....
Study of Water, 1976 crayon on paper, 18x19 5/8 in. David Hockney.
Rakes Progress. Opera Set. Daivd Hockney.
Salts Mill. David Hockney. Saltaire. (The colours are so bright, that I think he may have had the sunny weather from LA on his mind!)I used to work in this art gallery; it is a beautiful grade II listed building. It was converted into an art gallery and shops in the 1980s by the late Jonathan Silver. Sir Titus Salt opened the textile mill in 1853 after designing the mill, being the generous chap he was, he then had built 850 houses for his workers. The village is very old-world, I almost rented a place in the village once, I loved it so much. Not as much as I liked ‘Fanny’s’ the tiny weenie little Alehouse, which is located on Saltaire Rd.
So, I worked here in the galleries as an exhibitions/gallery assistant. I can still smell the copious amount of lilies that adorned almost every floor; each huge vase housed around 70 beautiful white lilies. On the top floor which is where Hockney’s opera sets are displayed plays out the music to his opera sets. Stravinsky’s Rakes Progress, is what I can recall. I would just sit there in this grand room, drinking hot water and a slice of lemon, watching the lighting change with the music and get a wee bit scared when not even members of the public were up there. It’s so atmospheric/isolated it scared me on my lonesome up there occasionally! I was employed to answer questions from the public, hoping they would only be enquiring about directions to the diner and not cross-examine my knowledge on Hockney’s works.
I saw Hockney working once on the sets, it was when he was on a visit from LA, I happened to be on the top floor (getting a water jug) as he has hearing trouble, he didn’t hear the huge wooden door creak behind me….Needless, to say I didn’t yell “Oi, David what yer doin up ere mate, it’s off limits” I just left the worlds most famous living artist to get along with his work quietly. Damn, I should’ve accidently dribbled some paint and then claimed it was Bullows/Hockney work in partnership…
P.S ) Ah. I also worked in the café bar, with Kimberley Walsh, now known for being one-fifth of Girls Aloud. We used to eat the chocolate we were meant to be selling, and then claim it had all fallen on the floor…'Something Kinda OOOH'..........the food in the diner was always so good too! Yum. Yum.
So, I worked here in the galleries as an exhibitions/gallery assistant. I can still smell the copious amount of lilies that adorned almost every floor; each huge vase housed around 70 beautiful white lilies. On the top floor which is where Hockney’s opera sets are displayed plays out the music to his opera sets. Stravinsky’s Rakes Progress, is what I can recall. I would just sit there in this grand room, drinking hot water and a slice of lemon, watching the lighting change with the music and get a wee bit scared when not even members of the public were up there. It’s so atmospheric/isolated it scared me on my lonesome up there occasionally! I was employed to answer questions from the public, hoping they would only be enquiring about directions to the diner and not cross-examine my knowledge on Hockney’s works.
I saw Hockney working once on the sets, it was when he was on a visit from LA, I happened to be on the top floor (getting a water jug) as he has hearing trouble, he didn’t hear the huge wooden door creak behind me….Needless, to say I didn’t yell “Oi, David what yer doin up ere mate, it’s off limits” I just left the worlds most famous living artist to get along with his work quietly. Damn, I should’ve accidently dribbled some paint and then claimed it was Bullows/Hockney work in partnership…
P.S ) Ah. I also worked in the café bar, with Kimberley Walsh, now known for being one-fifth of Girls Aloud. We used to eat the chocolate we were meant to be selling, and then claim it had all fallen on the floor…'Something Kinda OOOH'..........the food in the diner was always so good too! Yum. Yum.
