Art Project course gallery No. 20

Art Project: Life’s Little Luxuries

This week’s brief is inspired by a letter written by David Hockney and published in the Daily Telegraph last week in which the leading artist criticised the Government’s latest health initiative to fight obesity…

Hockney wrote:

“Bossy-boots (Matt) Hancock and bossy-boots Boris (Johnson) are suggesting if everybody loses five pounds it would save the National Health Service £100 million…I can’t see how this could be measured; the NHS is what it says, a national service…If no-one smokes, eats chocolate or butter, cheese and bacon, they might live to be 104. Call that living?”

“…Bossy-boots always want to take the sweet things out of life, and remember that the ultimate bossy-boots is a slave owner. The National Health Service will always have to deal with births and deaths, the final cause of death is birth.”

He signed off the letter: “Love life.”

Artists were asked to consider a number of ideas including what their little luxuries are, if  they agreed or disagreed with Hockney, what felt like / feels like an luxury? What, who or where do you think of when you consider ideas around luxury?

Here is work made by some of the artists taking part in this week’s project:

Look out for another gallery of work coming soon…
Harriet – Bossy Boots in Charge
Card, newsprint, acrylic on card, sweet wrapper on paper

Harriet- Bossy Boots Locked Up
Card, newsprint, acrylic on card with ice cream wrapper
Harriet – Not Eating, But Painting I
Butter, blackberries, strawberries and wine on paper

Harriet – Not Eating, But Painting II
Butter, blackberries, strawberries and wine on paper

Vanda – Lockdown – Luxuries Missing and Remaining
Ink, acrylic and watercolour pencils on paper and tracing paper

Jill – Is Luxury a Necessity?
Photo collage
Jill – My Art Luxuries: A Miro Print and a Bronze Sculpture
Graphite and watercolour pencil on paper
Jill – Lockdown Luxuries
Ink on paper
Chris – Time, The Fast Disappearing Luxury 
Diptych: Wax crayon and watercolour on paper and pastel on paper

Chris and Maurice – These Are A Few Of My Favourite Things
Digital collage

 Dieter – Ice Cream I
Lino print on paper
Dieter – Ice Cream II

Lino print from two plate on paper
Maurice – Poverty is the Worst Form of Violence (Mahatma Ghandi)
Digital collage
Maurice – Lavatorial Luxury
Digital collage
Maurice – LA Luxury: The Biggest Splash (Homage to Hockney)
Acrylic and collage on paper
Maurice – I Wonder What the Rich People Are Doing Now?
Digital collage: acrylic and ink on paper
Hilary – Essentials not Luxuries
Acrylic on paper

Sylvie Fenton – J’aime La Vie I
Acrylic, collage and ink
Sylvie Fenton – J’aime La Vie II
Acrylic, collage and ink
Sylvie Fenton – J’aime La Vie III
Acrylic, collage and ink
Sylvie Fenton – J’aime La Vie IV
Acrylic, collage and ink
Sylvie Fenton – J’aime La Vie V
Acrylic, collage and ink
Sylvie Fenton – J’aime La Vie
Acrylic, collage and ink