“You gotta know the rules before you can break the rules.”  Miles Davis

David Hockney, born in 1937, recently united with Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890). Separated by time and space, they were united by a shared fascination with nature. The work of David Hockney and Vincent van Gogh can now be seen side-by-side in Hockney – Van Gogh: The Joy of Nature.

This exhibition examines their profound love of nature through brilliant color and the capacity to see the world with fresh eyes. The Joy of Nature reveals Van Gogh’s unmistakable influence on Hockney in a selection of carefully selected landscape paintings and drawings.

The Joy of Nature brings together nearly 50 of Hockney’s vibrant works—ranging from intimate sketchbook studies to monumental paintings, as well as his experimental videos and iPad drawings—with 10 carefully chosen original paintings and drawings by Van Gogh.

Hockney has earned the right to experiment with colors, to draw on the ipad because he has studied. Studied the greats – the greatest painters, the greatest artistic creations sprouting from the ground.

Too many artists, people in general, want to skip the work. Go straight to the ipad, straight to the pay-off, the instant gratification. But we have to do the work. 

When the Swiss chef, Daniel Humm, came to conquer New York city, his restaurant was reviewed as good, very “Rolling Stones,” but, the critic continued, she wished it was a little more “Miles Davis.” Humm took this very seriously. He researched Miles Davis and began to love not only the music, but his philosophy. He hung signs for inspiration throughout the restaurant. 

Cool.

Endless Reinvention.

Inspired.

Forward moving.

Fresh.

Collaborative.

Spontaneous.

Vibrant.

Adventurous.

Light.

Innovative.

Eleven Madison Park.

Daring to learn. To become. Humm took Eleven Madison Park to the top, voted the number one restaurant, not just in New York City, but in the world.

I know the sense of urgency you have to get there, I feel it, we all do. We want to feel only the joy, the rewards of our passion. But the work must be done. Again and again. So I paint daily and sketch and draw and write and read. I learn about Van Gogh and Hockney. And all of the colors in between I learn and I try and I repeat.

The German word for passion is “leidenschaft.” Loosely translated it means to suffer, or endure. The work must be done. And the rewards, just as the passion, oh, the rewards! — they are in the doing!

Do the work. Become. It’s in our nature. It’s where we find our joy.