A Bigger Splash
“A Bigger Splash” by David Hockney is an acrylic painting on canvas and was made in 1967 in California. The picture is made up of a pool right outside a home with palm trees in the background and the sun set high in the sky. The shadows on the sliding glass door tell you that there are buildings and more palm trees across from this house. Without those shadows I would have gotten the feeling that this house was in the middle of no where because there isn’t much to the picture besides the house and the pool.
The most interesting thing about this piece of art is that Hockney made it look like someone had just jumped off the diving board into the water, but there is no one to be found. I suppose the person could have submerged under water and since this isn’t a real picture it could be that you can’t see anyone under the water because the paint doesn’t give it that effect. I think it’s interesting that the only piece of furniture outside the house is a director’s chair rather than patio or pool furniture. Perhaps the artist thought that this might be fitting since the picture is supposed to take place in California.
When I see this picture it gives me a sense of loneliness. I feel like this house is out in the middle of the dessert with no neighbors surrounding it. I’m sure that’s not the case because the shadows say otherwise. The brightness of the sky tells you that there is no clouds on this particular day making it look like it might be very hot