From ‘A Year in Normandie’ by David Hockney, at Serpentine North

Dear Readers, I was saddened by the death of David Hockney earlier this year: I really fell in love with him when he had his exhibition of i-Pad paintings at the Royal Academy a few years ago, when I was delighted by his use of colour (pretty much a constant throughout his long and varied career), and by his use of new technology. So I wasn’t going to miss his swan song at the Serpentine. Inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry, this work forms a frieze around the gallery at Serpentine North of more than 100 i-Pad paintings, made in 2019 when the artist moved back to Normandy, but was waiting for his house to be renovated. The ‘paintings’ were made in the open air, and record a year in nature, moving through the seasons, with humans only represented by their artifacts: a tree house, a chair, a rather fine house. By the time the images were finished, the world was in lockdown, and there’s something of that quiet, introspective time in the work. 

To add to the pleasure, I was visiting with my friend J, who I met via the blog! Never let it be said that the internet is just a tool for division, it’s a tool for connection too.

On the way to the gallery, I’d passed some very fine trees, including this extraordinary Sweet Chestnut, which was positively bowed down with nuts.

And on the way back, I noticed this unusual lime tree, which had leaves rather like those of a whitebeam. Turns out it’s a Silver Lime (Tilia tomentosa). This is a species from southern Europe, and the one in Kensington Gardens really is a spectacular specimen.

There was also some interesting ‘dry’ planting: in amongst the usual suspects (Echinops, aloes, yuccas etc) was this very pretty lilac-blue plant. It’s known as Native Hibiscus (Alyogyne hakeifolia) and it’s a relative of the Mallows, rather than an actual hibiscus, though the plants are part of the same family. It was doing really well, so. definite possibility for a very hot, dry spot.

Native hibiscus (Alyogyne hakeifolia)

There’s no disguising how brown everything is, though the view up to Kensington Palace is still wonderful.

Then we walked the short distance from the Serpentine North gallery to Serpentine South, via the Serpentine Pavilion, designed this year by the Mexico-based LANZA atelier – the shape is ‘serpentine’, and there is excellent coffee to be had inside.

We also popped in to see the exhibition at Serpentine South, which was based around the work of Cecily Brown, a UK artist who has lived in New York for thirty years, and has recently returned. Her work is heavily influenced by the Serpentine and Kensington Gardens, and many of the more recent paintings have been created for this, her first solo exhibition in this country. I really liked her work – as you know, I’m a big fan of bright colour, but these paintings seemed to reveal themselves gradually as you spent time with them.

Anyhow, this was a really lovely day, filled with art and nature and combinations of the two. Furthermore, both exhibitions are free: we booked in advance, but you can just walk up for either of them, though you might have to queue at busy times. All the details are here.

We ate at the ‘Friends of Ours’ restaurant at Serpentine North – I’d recommend booking for lunch, but you could probably walk in without having to wait too long if you avoided the busy time between noon and 2 p.m. Very nice veggie options and Hackney Gelato ice cream.

All details are here. I’m a lifelong Londoner, but this was my first visit, It won’t be my last!