Painted around 1980, Nichols Canyon is one of David Hockney's most celebrated depictions of Los Angeles. The work takes its subject from the winding road that runs through the Hollywood Hills, connecting the San Fernando Valley with the city below. Hockney lived in the area and became fascinated by the geography of Southern California, particularly the contrast between its natural landscape and the sprawling urban environment that surrounded it.

Unlike many traditional landscape paintings, Nichols Canyon does not attempt to present a single viewpoint. Instead, Hockney combines multiple perspectives into a single composition. The road twists through the centre of the painting like a ribbon, guiding the viewer's eye through a maze of hills, trees and houses. This approach reflects Hockney's long-standing interest in finding alternatives to conventional perspective.

The painting is immediately recognisable for its vivid colour and energetic design. Bright greens, blues, yellows and pinks transform the canyon into an almost dreamlike environment. Although based on a real location, the work is not intended as a photographic record. Rather, it represents Hockney's personal experience of the landscape and his attempt to capture its movement, light and atmosphere.

During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Hockney increasingly explored ways of depicting space that challenged traditional Western artistic conventions. Influenced by Chinese scroll paintings, Cubism and photography, he became interested in showing how people actually experience a place over time rather than from a fixed position. Nichols Canyon reflects these ideas through its sweeping composition and constantly shifting viewpoints.

The painting also captures an important period in Hockney's career. Having established himself as one of the leading figures in contemporary British art, he was by this time closely associated with California and its distinctive visual culture. Swimming pools, modern houses, bright sunlight and dramatic landscapes all became recurring themes within his work.

Today, Nichols Canyon is regarded as one of Hockney's finest landscape paintings. It combines many of the qualities that define his art: brilliant colour, technical experimentation, a fascination with space and perspective, and an ability to transform familiar locations into memorable and highly individual works of art.

More than four decades after its creation, Nichols Canyon remains one of the most admired images from Hockney's California period and a powerful example of how he reimagined the traditional landscape for the modern age.

David Hockney posters have always been collectable. There was a decent book published years ago in 1988 about them which can be found on amazon.co.uk by clicking here. I think it is now out of print though there are still a few copies that come onto the market from time to time and it is essential reading for anyone interested in collecting the great man's posters.

I think the posters are collectable because for most of us anything that now has the famous Hockney squiggle is out of our price range. That and the fact that there are so many Hockney-stamped 'autographs out there makes it a kind of minefield for the novice. I mean, how many people have on their walls something purported to be signed by DH when in fact he has been nowehere near it.

And anyway is buying a signature the best motive for buying a piece of art? Is it really value for money? I think the posters by comparison are great value for money and with Hockney's proficient use of colour the bigger the better in my book. I've seen some of the big posters and they look breathtaking.

62 x 95 cm (without border: 58 x 82 cm).

Examples of his exhibition posters are now here.