A rare and important work from 1963/4 relating to Hockney’s famous Jungle Boy, 1964. Hockney appears to be contemplating sin and temptation with a Californian equivalent to Adam and Eve’s temptation. Adam and Eve lived in paradise, as Hockney viewed California, in total innocence until the serpent (the devil) enticed them to eat the forbidden fruit. Hockney was exploring his sexuality in the midst of LA swimming pools, bronzed young men and sunny indolence in his Californian bohemia. Homosexuality was not even partially decriminalised until 1967.
“California in my mind was a sunny land of movie studios and beautiful semi-naked people. My picture of it was admittedly strongly coloured by physique magazines published there‟.
Provenance
Origrafica Gallery, Malmö, Sweden, where acquired by the present owner in 1985.