Meaning & Analysis

Hollywood Bowl (1966) is a signed lithograph by David Hockney inspired by his visit to Los Angeles in 1964 and a lifelong friendship with the British stylist Ossie Clark. Among many influences of the U.S. trip on the artist’s style and technique, Hockney’s stay in California marks his return to lithography, a medium that he had first studied at Bradford School of Art and did not experiment with again until a decade later.

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In January 1964, Hockney embarked on a trip to America, one of his first stops including Pratt Institute in New York, where he completed etchings Edward Lear and Jungle Boy. The trip ultimately led the artist to Los Angeles, where, making connections with Christopher Isherwood, Don Bachardy, and Jack Larson, he quickly became part of the local cultural scene.

While in Los Angeles, David Hockney visited the Hollywood Bowl with Ossie Clark to see The Beatles’ live performance. Featuring the famous amphitheatre in Hollywood Hills as its sole subject matter, the print anticipates such signature themes as the Californian swimming pools that define Hockney’s interest in the artefacts of modern life in the late 1960s.

The red and orange arches representing the venue’s distinctive bandshell are the only colourful elements in the print. Set against the black background, the image of the amphitheatre contrasts sharply with the bright, pastel palette used by Hockney to depict Californian suburbs in the following years. Hollywood Bowl remains in dialogue with A Hollywood Collection, the series of six colour lithographs created by Hockney for Ken Tyler at the Gemini workshop in 1965. The postcard-like image of the amphitheatre is set against a beige, rectangular background and, like most lithographs in the Hollywood series, creates the illusion of having a real frame. In A Hollywood Collection, Hockney drew frames as part of the prints to mock the commerciality of the contemporary art world. Similarly to Picture Of A Simple Framed Traditional Nude Drawing (1965) and Picture Of A Landscape In An Elaborate Gold Frame, 2 (1965), Hollywood Bowl draws on the idea of an artwork that has been pre-packaged for the potential collector.