HOCKNEY: THE TRILOGY

Three paintings. One unfolding conversation.

Conceptual exhibition mock-up of The Hockney Trilogy.

THE PAINTINGS:

Before Her Splash

Acrylic on canvas
24 × 24

Poised between air and water, she occupies the instant before anticipation gives way to experience. A celebration of possibility, trust, and the beauty of a suspended moment.

David Hockney

Acrylic on canvas
24 × 24

Long before I painted David Hockney, he had already found his way into my work. This portrait is a gesture of gratitude to an artist whose curiosity and delight in the ordinary have influenced the way I see the world.

Before the Splash

Acrylic on canvas
24 × 24

With complete abandon, he leaps toward the water, unconcerned with dignity or expectation. It is a reminder that freedom and joy, often begin the moment we stop performing for everyone else.

About the Trilogy

This trilogy reflects an ongoing theme in Charles Presti's work: the quiet transformation that occurs when we pause long enough to notice moments that are easy to overlook.

Inspired by a long admiration for David Hockney, these paintings are conversations across generations of artists. They explore anticipation, play, memory, and the remarkable ability of ordinary moments to become extraordinary when we truly pay attention.

Together, these three paintings celebrate curiosity, invite reflection, and offer a quiet reminder that wonder is always waiting just beneath the surface.