David Hockney: Self (segment "Painting Pop")
Quotes
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Himself (segment "Painting Pop") : [David Hockey] What I do find is very sexy is the the new four-penny stamp of the footballers kicking their legs up.
Himself (segment "Painting Pop") : The point is, those things are rather meaningless in a way, aren't they? For instance, I mean, if next week this country did collapse but on the very day it collapsed, you met your absolute true love, you wouldn't give two hoots about the bloody place collapsing, would you? I mean, you know, you'd think all's right with the world, if we have a sandwich and a glass of beer, it doesn't matter. I mean that in a way, they're that meaningless, aren't they?
Himself (segment "Painting Pop") : Because, I mean, in comparison with Bradford, I suppose it is a kind of swinging place but I mean in comparison with lots and lots of other cities it seems to me, I mean I think of London now, sometimes like I used to think of Bradford. When I first came to London, I thought oh, it's so much better than Bradford but now when I go to America I think of London like Bradford - it's so much better here.
Himself (segment "Painting Pop") : In some ways, it's much more democratic you see and that's why London, I don't think, will ever really be what you'd call a swinging place. You see its night life in London, you need too much money for it and because of that you can't go in any place and meet a plumber from Camberwell whereas in New York you could. I mean, you could go in a bar and meet the equivalent, a plumber from Brooklyn could be sat at the next stool and some other guy, you know, a movie maker from Hollywood could be sat on the next stool. I mean, it just, that can happen. Here it just doesn't.
Himself (segment "Painting Pop") : Do you know Eric Burdon? The Animals. Well, I think it was on a television programme. Have I told you this story? Now, I mean, he's a musician in London, isn't he? We were talking about America, as a matter of fact. He said he didn't like it really at all. And he gave, he told me this story as a story against America. And he said, he was in New York and he was with a policeman, you see, a cop. I supposed it's a bit different for him, being a singer and he thought people might attack him or something. But anyway, they went in this bar and there was music playing, you see there was a jukebox, and the cop said to the guy behind the bar "Can you dance in here?" And they said, "Sure". So he hung up his gun and started dancing with a girl. And Eric Burdon said this was terrible, he said that cop is the sort of cop who'd take a backhander and money and this that and the other. And he thought it was terrible. Well I thought it sounded marvellous. I mean really it's kind of like ideal for a musician. I said it simply proved they're more art lovers there. He was affected by the music when he went into the bar. The idea of him hanging up a gun, I thought was terrific but he thought it was terrible. Well, I suppose, I mean, in a way, maybe lots of other people in London would think that situation was terrible, if he did. Would they? But it's hardly the story you'd say to run down America, is it? I wouldn't think so. If it'd happened to me, if it happened to me, I would always be telling it, saying what a great place it was.
