David Hockney's foray into fax art during the late 1980s and early 1990s represented a pioneering intersection of technology and visual art, underscoring his lifelong commitment to exploring and adopting new media. Hockney utilized the fax machine, a technology predominantly associated with office work and communication, to create and distribute his art, embracing the immediacy and reach of the medium. One notable instance, "DH at the beach," was faxed from Hockney's Malibu home to a childhood friend in Bradford in November 1988. This piece, alongside others sent to friends during this period, captures Hockney's innovative spirit and his belief in the fax machine as "the wonderful machine, the enemy of totalitarianism, the return of handwritten letters" (Artnet News).
In 1989, Hockney expanded his exploration of fax art with a significant project for the São Paulo Biennial, sending faxes from Los Angeles to Brazil. Challenges with Brazil's telephone lines and the conceptual novelty of an "absent artist" contributing a site-specific work through fax transmission underscored the experimental nature of Hockney's endeavor. The project culminated in the creation of "Tennis," composed of 144 faxed sheets arranged according to Hockney's instructions and accompanied by Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries," melding visual and auditory experiences. This event highlighted the philosophical and innovative aspects of using printing technology to produce original artworks, further cementing Hockney's role as a trailblazer in integrating technology into his creative process (The David Hockney Foundation: Home).
Hockney's fax art series, emblematic of his broader artistic journey, showcases his ceaseless curiosity and willingness to engage with and transform available technologies into mediums of artistic expression. These works not only represent a unique phase in Hockney's career but also offer insight into the possibilities of technology as a vehicle for art, challenging traditional notions of creation and distribution in the visual arts.
