The Grand Rapids Art Museum (GRAM) has opened "David Hockney: Perspective Should Be Reversed," billed as the largest-ever retrospective of the British artist's prints. Featuring some 170 works across two floors, the exhibition spans six decades of Hockney's career, from early Xerox experiments to recent iPad drawings. The show is drawn from the collection of Jordan D. Schnitzer, a prominent Portland-based collector and philanthropist, and his Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation. It opened on May 31 and is organized into five thematic sections including "Portraits of Self and Others" and "Tradition and Innovation."
This exhibition matters because it offers a rare, comprehensive look at Hockney's printmaking practice, an often-overlooked aspect of his oeuvre, while also showcasing his lifelong embrace of new technologies. At 88, Hockney remains a vital figure in contemporary art, and the show's presence in Grand Rapids—rather than a major coastal museum—underscores the growing importance of regional institutions in hosting world-class exhibitions. For Detroit-area audiences, it provides a compelling reason to make the day trip west, highlighting how midwestern museums are expanding access to major international artists.