Over the past few days, our newspapers have been reporting on the national discussion on the increase in employers’ Central Provident Fund (CPF) contribution rates for older workers. Does one's work efficiency goes down with age? Does one become less committed to the job once we become a senior citizen? Does one become out-of-date?
 

In my first job at a local bank, I was put in charge of a team that included a 50-plus employee who I felt was dead weight. He did the minimum of what the job required, did not put in any extra effort or initiative and did not want to learn how to be relevant to go forward. From a general point, his productivity (or lack of it) impacted business costs and on one hand, I understand that the existing policy to keep older workers employed, is a lower employers’ contribution rate on turning 50 (16 per cent to 12 per cent of a worker’s pay, then subsequently lowered to 9 per cent when he turns 55, and then down again to 6.5 per cent at the age of 60) is applied.

David Hockney, Illustrations for Six Fairy Tales from The Brothers Grimm (S.A.C. 70-108; Tokyo 67-105)

All this made me think about age. I have often wondered if I am alone in that it seems like 60 is the new 50 or dare I go so far as to say 70 is the new 50. In my career, I've had the good fortune to work closely with a number of colleagues in the over 50 and 60 category and I cannot begin to say how appreciative I am of their experience and counsel.

On the home front, my parents seem to be working harder and have more energy and drive for living life well than they ever did. So, on the other hand, aging has not robbed many for their enthusiasm for life in work or play. I'm sure many of us can think of examples of seniors contributing to society and in no way letting age slow them down.

On the work-related front, Hockney fever is burning in London. English painter David Hockney may be 74 years old but that hasn't stopped him from keeping up with new media. As an artist who contributed to the Pop Art movement in the 1960s, he also used photography in his work in the late 1960s to the early 1980s. More recently, he has embraced the iPad and used technology to create and produce artwork and also exhibited drawing on iPads and iPods. Re-inventing his style and exploring the use of the latest technology with the help of an iPhone as a canvas is sure to appeal to the younger generation. (See the Life and Times of David Hockney here.)

At the Royal Academy of Arts in Piccadilly, London, David Hockney: A Bigger Picture, (January 21 to April 9, 2012) shows monumental size works inspired by the Yorkshire landscape. The exhibition uses iPad images and film montages to bring the visitor on a journey through the eyes of the artist.

David Hockney, The Metropolitan Opera House
 

On February 17, Christie’s will hold the Hockney on Paper auction in London which features many sketches and illustrations from the 1960s of still life, portraits and landscapes. Estimates start from £300-500 for Lot 63 an offset lithographic poster, 1969 David Hockney, The Boy Hidden in an Egg, from Grimm’s Fairy Tales, Galerie Der Spiegel, Cologne, 1970.

There are a some examples of the artist’s work with photography such as Lot 142 at £15,000-20,000, The Metropolitan Opera House, a photographic collage, 1982. And a complete portfolio of 39 fascinating etchings Illustrations for Six Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm (S.A.C. 70-108; Tokyo 67-105), estimated at £30,000-50,000 which are Hockney’s imaginative and quirky interpretation of the fairytales. You can find audio highlights of the sale here.


Sale 4422
Hockney on Paper
17 February 2012
London, South Kensington

Photos: Christie's Images Ltd