David Hockney’s ‘Pearblossom Highway, 11-18th April 1986, #2’ is a photographic collage that chronicles his road trip on a California highway, CA 138. The artwork is composed of 750 color photographs, offering both the driver’s and passenger’s perspective of their journey. Hockney’s photography experiments sought to shatter conventional perspectives by creating immersive artworks that gave the viewer alternative ways of seeing.
The image reveals a seemingly mundane scene of a highway with desert vegetation but in Hockney’s interpretation becomes an exciting and vibrant artistic creation. His decision to use hundreds of photos offers the viewer multiple viewpoints by disrupting traditional camera angles; this creates an unusual experience for viewers accustomed to seeing only one fixed angle.
‘Pearblossom Highway’ was created as part of an exhibition showcasing Hockney’s photographic experiments. A celebrity artist born in the UK, David has always been fascinated with innovation and attempts to break free from traditional painting positions as he explores other techniques such as printmaking ahead-of-time digital figures.
