David Hockney O.M. C.H. R.A. (British b.1937)

David Hockney O.M. C.H. R.A. (British b.1937)
To Remain [MCA Tokyo 50]
1966
signed and inscribed artist's proof in pencil
aside from the edition of 75
etching on wove
from Illustrations for Fourteen Poems from C. P. Cavafy
printed and published by Editions Alecto, London
plate 34.6 x 22cm
framed
ARR

Reference: See Tate, London, accession number P77566 for another example of this edition
Literature: Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo 50
Note: Hockney’s Illustrations for Fourteen Poems from C.P. Cavafy comprises fourteen etchings, each paired with a poem by the Greek poet Constantine P. Cavafy (1863–1933). Each image captures the tone, atmosphere, and characters of its corresponding poem. Widely regarded as the most distinguished Greek poet of the 20th century, Cavafy explored numerous themes in his work, though he is best known for his homoerotic poetry- much of which is believed to be autobiographical. His verses evoke tender, sensual encounters between men, a subject that resonated deeply with Hockney’s own experience as a young gay artist.

When Hockney created this portfolio in 1966, homosexuality was still illegal in the UK. Reflecting on that time, he remarked: “I was aware that it was illegal, but I didn’t really think much about that at the time. I was living in a bohemian world, where we just did what we pleased. I wasn’t speaking for anybody else. I was defending my way of living.” This body of work stands as one of his earliest and most candid expressions of queer identity.

The series was partly inspired by a trip to Beirut, which Hockney saw as a contemporary to Cavafy’s Alexandria. The present lot To Remain depicts a man standing outside a dry cleaner’s, smoking a cigarette. Inside the shop beneath the hanging jackets, the lower half of another man is just visible- suggesting a discreet, possibly illicit encounter. Hockney’s use of clean lines and sparse composition mirrors the quiet directness of Cavafy’s verse. The poem it accompanies describes a meeting between two men in a wine shop; Hockney’s etching echoes that spirit of subtle eroticism and furtive thrill. As viewers, we become voyeurs, glimpsing a moment of hidden intimacy, with the man outside perhaps standing guard.