R, from Hockney's Alphabet, 1991 Under $100000 merging scientific terminology with fantastical

merging scientific terminology with fantastical concepts that suggest a pre-birth existence—a recurring theme in Surrealist exploration of the subconscious

Stein Eriksen

These pairings create a unique dialogue between visual art and literature

"Hockney's Alphabet" served a dual purpose

allowing glimpses of underlying layers to shine through

R, from Hockney's Alphabet, 1991 Under $100000 merging scientific terminology with fantasticalDavid Hockney's letter R comes from Hockney's Alphabet, the 1991 portfolio in which the artist reimagined all twenty six letters as full page colour lithographs. Three R's share the page: a soft graphite cursive R repeated like an echo, a red R lettered on a curling card, and a fine flourished R underscored in red Hockney rehearsing the letter in three different hands. Hockney's Alphabet was conceived by the poet Sir Stephen Spender and published in