David Hockney, who has died at the age of 88, was one of Britain’s most celebrated contemporary artists. Born in Bradford, West Yorkshire, in 1937, he showed an early talent for drawing and went on to study at the Royal College of Art in London. During the 1960s he became associated with the Pop Art movement, developing a distinctive style that combined bright colours, bold shapes and a fascination with everyday life. His work quickly gained international recognition and established him as one of the leading artists of his generation.
In the 1960s, Hockney moved to Los Angeles, where the sunny climate and relaxed lifestyle inspired some of his most famous paintings. Works such as A Bigger Splash and Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures) became iconic images of modern art. Throughout his career he experimented with a wide range of media, including photography, printmaking, stage design and digital art, constantly exploring new ways of creating and presenting images.
Later in life, Hockney divided his time between California and Yorkshire, where he produced large-scale landscape paintings inspired by the English countryside. He embraced new technology, creating artworks on iPhones and iPads and demonstrating that creativity can thrive at any age. Widely regarded as one of the most influential living artists, Hockney has received numerous honours and exhibitions around the world, and his colourful, innovative work continues to inspire artists and audiences alike.
Following such a colourful life the BBC invited Hockney’s muse on to discuss the late artist. Somehow they had probably hoped for a little less honesty when asking the question ‘what advice did he give to you?’
To be fair, as one person commented: ‘The perfect tribute to a remarkable man. I think he’d have loved that moment!’
Just as well they did not ask a Palestinian person what they thought of Israel killing hundreds of thousands of their people. No chance of that, though, was there?
