RUFUS HALE, 23RD, 24TH, 25TH NOVEMBER 2015

davidhockney-rufushale

The British artist Tacita Dean spent time in Los Angeles in 2015, researching at the Getty Institute. She visited Hockney, later filming him smoking in a contemplative state for her work Portraits (2016). When visiting she was accompanied by her eleven-year-old son Rufus. Reminded of himself at the same age, Hockney felt compelled to paint Rufus, who proved to be a very good sitter, becoming very engaged in the process.

“It was completely spontaneous so I was just wearing what I wear every day, which kind of, unusually enough, is a suit and tie. I went there having no idea that I’d be painted by him so I didn’t wear anything special. I’m wearing a sort of tweedish waistcoat, red tie, sort of dark blue trousers, white shirt and dress shoes”.  Rufus Hale