What is it about art that inspires artists to continue to be creative and to experiment even when they are still in their 80′s.  In Britain, the best artists from that generation are still experimenting with new ideas, including Bridget Riley (born 1931), Peter Blake (born 1932), Patrick Hughes (born 1939) and David Hockney (born 1937).  Is there something in the creative power of art that enables this to take place?

David Hockney arrived in London this spring with two complementary shows, one ‘drawing from life’ at the National Portrait Gallery and the other taking over both floors of Annely Juda Fine Art in Mayfair, both temporarily closed due to the current coronavirus situation, but both essential viewing for fans of Hockney.  Fortunately I did manage to see the latter before the shutters came down; I hope to be able to visit the other at the Portrait Gallery when we move back to something approaching normality, but for the moment, both the National Portrait Gallery and Annely Juda Fine Art bring their Hockney exhibitions alive online.

At Annely Judd,’Video Brings Its Time To You, You Bring Your Time to Paintings and Drawings’ has 18 portraits of family, friends and colleagues in its great top-lit gallery space, including Ed Sheeran, John Richardson, Bruna Mars, Bing McGilvray and Ren Weschler, along with two of his multiple-perspective videos over several screens, created from multiple cameras attached to his car, and three photographic drawings of interior scenes of his Los Angeles studio also featuring friends and colleagues, his work being as fresh and as innovative as it was when he became famous all those years ago.

Responding to the current coronavirus crisis, David Hockney, who is in lockdown at his house in Normandy, has unveiled a painting of bright yellow spring daffodils to cheer us all up.