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June 15, 2007

huh

British artist paints iPod as enemy of the visual age

Posted Jun. 15, ’07, 9:20 AM PT by Dan Moren
Category | Apple » Huh?

David HockneyThe iPod’s come under fire from its fair share of critics, but perhaps never one so prominent as British painter David Hockney. In Hockney’s opinion, the constant “plugged-in” nature of society is having a terrible—simply terrible—effect on the visual arts.

Speaking on the eve of his 70th birthday, Britain’s best-loved living painter said the proliferation of iPods - Apple has sold more than 100 million worldwide - and other digital music players has combined with a decline in art education to create a “fallow period of painting”.

“We are not in a very visual age,” Hockney said. “I think it’s all about sound. People plug in their ears and don’t look much, whereas for me my eyes are the biggest pleasure.

“You notice that on buses. People don’t look out of the window; they are plugged in and listening to something.

“I think we are not in a very visual age and it’s producing badly dressed people. They have no interest in mass or line or things like that.”

Wait, badly dressed people? No offense, Mr. Hockney, but perhaps people in polka-dotted bow ties shouldn’t throw stones. Try a black turtleneck and jeans on for size.

A spokesperson at Apple Australia countered Hockney’s arguments by pointing out that people also use iPods to watch short films and convey other visual information. Sadly, society’s current fascination with lip-synched boy band videos and lolcats didn’t really weaken Mr. Hockney’s argument.

[via Engadget]


12 Comments

Neven said:

Another personal hero becomes a crusty curmudgeon in their old age... oh well.

June 15, 2007 9:47 AM
jayH said:

last time i checked i see things with my eyes, not ears... i can still appreciate a painting while listening to the spice girls on my iPod.

June 15, 2007 9:50 AM
mehdi said:

i think it can be an advertisement for ipod, is complaint is about mp3 players, and he named ipod as the most important part of this market!

June 15, 2007 10:30 AM
john said:

I just don't see the connection between art and the iPod and how the iPod is suddenly the bad guy here. I find his accusations to be way off base.
Maybe he should take off that bow tie, it might help him see things better. It looks a little to tight to me.

June 15, 2007 10:32 AM
Philippe Azimzadeh said:

Yeah seriously, this guy needs to take his ear buds out of his eyes.

June 15, 2007 10:42 AM
Dave-O said:

@jayH, that's funny because I seem to recall a certain former Beatle saying the best thing about the Spice Girls is that you can watch their videos with the sound off.

June 15, 2007 11:04 AM
RambOrc said:

This guy is just plain dumb. We've been living in an extremely visual age for decades now thanks to television. TV is the most important factor in the decline of classic art forms like paintings, sculptures, poems etc.

iPods are actually making people less dumb because they choose what they listen to instead of getting spoon-fed through the radio with whatever the music industry is currently trying to push.

June 15, 2007 12:10 PM
wes Harden said:

who the F)*&# is this DOOFUS!!!!

if anything ipods have made it easier to get inspired. as an artist i resent this guys statements.

art is about fusion, just look at the ipod ads. when art meets music, beautiful things happen. the world of sound is just as important as the world of sight.

this guy is just trying to get attention for his dumbfounded statements, probobly cus his art BLOWS.

ive never seen it but in the art world, this is how you get exposure if your art is no good.

June 15, 2007 12:42 PM
JayH said:

Dave-O: if one can listen to an entire recent album by former beatles, they certainly have a hearing problem, so muting a spice girls video is not necessary. heck, they could even enjoy a hanson video for all i know and still think the in it girls are hot...

June 15, 2007 8:54 PM
Trevor said:

I look out the window all the time on the train when I'm listening to my iPod.

June 15, 2007 10:46 PM
Thomas Schmidt said:

@wes Harden, if you don't know David Hockney, he's one of the greatest living painter, so if you are an artist, i strongly suggest you check one or two of his paintings.

Don't just bash people because they're making unfavorable comments about a brand you like. It's just sick. Apple is not a religion. Get a life.

June 17, 2007 2:23 AM
benj said:

amen schmidt.
i think i agree with mr hockney apart from about how people dress. you don't need to look too far and you'll see kids (and adults) glued to laptop screens and portable dvd players on trains, underground metros and in the back of cars - oblivious to cows and sheep and trees and hedges, people in other cars pulling faces etc etc.
I think the gadgets are great, but i know people who are now incapable of travelling anywhere without being plugged in for just a couple of minutes.
It's really sad. we're quietly teaching kids not to listen or to observe the world around them in a constant rush to stay entertained and keep boredom at bay.
For my career boredom is one of the key roots to original creative thought and process. As a kid i couldn't watch vhs cause we didn't have one so I watched ants run about, abserved a bit of fluff in my belly and watched the clouds mutate in the heavens.
Of course we may sit on the train looking out the window (Trevor) and thats cool (i do that too and it hasn't killed me), but the younger kids now know no other way of life than to be entertained by gadgets and mobiles that consume our attention and focus cause they're just soo damned pretty and tactile.

June 18, 2007 6:03 AM

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