David Hockney, revered as one of the world's greatest living artists, recently completed his year as a Mentor in the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative. Launched in 2002, this international programme seeks out extraordinarily gifted young artists and gives them the opportunity to collaborate with masters in their fields. Hockney's protégé was Matthias Weischer, a 32-year-old painter from Leipzig, Germany, who is gaining international acclaim from critics and collectors for his powerful work.
Hockney was one of six Mentors this cycle. The others were Sir Peter Hall, a titan of British theatre; Saburo Teshigawara, one of Japan's most influential choreographers; Mario Vargas Llosa, the acclaimed Peruvian author; Mira Nair, the award winning Indian film-maker; and Jessye Norman, a once-in-a-generation singer.
The aim of the initiative is to provide protégés with opportunities to grow creatively and to increase their understanding of their profession.
Hockney's protégé was Matthias Weischer, a 32-year-old painter from Leipzig, Germany, who is gaining international acclaim from critics and collectors for his powerful work. Weischer is exhibited at galleries, museums and institutions in Europe and the United States. Most recently, he was invited to exhibit eight paintings at the prestigious Venice Biennale.
"The central focus of my art work is the fusion of the experience of space and time," says Weischer who acknowledges that there are both parallels and differences between his paintings and those of his lifelong "model", David Hockey.
Hockneys says he chose Weischer to be his protégé because they both share an interest in pictorial space. "This is really what Matthias is working on. It‚s good to find someone who shares your special interest."
Like all the mentors in the programme, David Hockney also learned from the process. "To be honest, I wouldn't have considered taking part in the programme if I didn't expect to learn," says Hockney. "Good teachers have always learned from their students. Not always, of course, but in principle. Good students have an energy - youth!"
For more information on the project see: http://www.rolexmentorprotege.com/cycle2/disciplines/visual.html?show=1.
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