THE largest-ever picture created by a renowned Bradford artist will be seen for the first time in the UK at an exhibition in Saltaire.

A 90.75-metre picture created by the famous David Hockney who attended Bradford College of Art in the 1950s will be pinned to a specially built wall in the huge, rarely-opened timber-beamed attic space of Salts Mill in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Saltaire from the beginning of May.

The painting called A Year in Normandie joins together some of the 220 iPad works Hockney created throughout 2020 using a specially adapted version of his favoured app, printed onto paper, and shown in a continuous run.

The frieze has been described as being an ‘a vibrant, joyful’ piece of art that creates an immersive sense of being in nature.

Zoe Silver, who works at Salts Mill said: "We're really looking forward to showing this exhibition to the public on Wednesday. It's a really beautiful and joyful picture which we think that people will really love."

Hockney’s frieze was almost for decades in the making.

The artist traces its genesis back to when he first laid eyes upon a Chinese scroll painting at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York in 1983.

It was, Hockney recalls, “about 30 metres long and was displayed for me in a private room. It was one of the most exciting days of my life.”

Since spending time in France in 2019, the artist has been considering the extraordinary Bayeux Tapestry.

The 11th century embroidered depiction of the Norman conquest of England is 68.3 metres wide and covers 2-and-a-half years of time. Of his work, Hockney comments “the viewer… will walk past it like the Bayeux tapestry, and I hope they will experience in one picture the year in Normandy.”

In an adjoining room is Hockney’s video piece Remember You Cannot Look at the Sun or Death for Very Long, 26th April 2020. An iPad painting with animation, this beautiful sunrise captures the artist’s philosophy of loving life.

Hockney is one of the most famous artists to come out of Bradford and has been featured in over 400 solo exhibitions and over 500 group exhibitions.

He is considered to be one of the most influential British artists of the 20th century.

The exhibition opens to the public on Wednesday, May 4th. Open Weds-Sun, 11 am – 4pm, until September 18th. Admission free. See saltsmill.org.uk for details.