David Hockney (b. 1937) is a world-renowned British painter, printmaker and photographer, as well as a draughtsman and stage designer. A major figure in the Pop art movement of the 1960s, his paintings have become some of the most recognisable works of any still-living British artist, and this has also led to him being considered one of the most influential British artist of the past two centuries.
He studied at the Bradford College of Art and the Royal College of Art, receiving a gold medal in the 1962 graduate competition. Hockney held his first solo show at Kasmin’s Gallery in London in 1963. Following that show, Hockney made the surprising decision to move to Los Angeles, which remains his intermittent home, and a source of inspiration for his work. From this State, Hockney began to produce numerous landscape and figurative paintings celebrating Southern California’s lifestyle and environments, rendering them in bright-coloured and large-scale paintings. He also began to paint portraits of his friends, his family and his lovers during this time as well.
Throughout his career, Hockney has explored various mediums, including collage and multi-perspective compositions, challenging conventional views of space and perspective. His works often depict landscapes, portraits, and scenes of everyday life. Hockney’s ability to blend traditional techniques with modern technology, such as fax machines, photocopiers, and iPads, reflects his ongoing experimentation and adaptability. Hockney has received numerous accolades, including an appointment to the Order of Merit in 2012 by Queen Elizabeth II, recognizing his contributions to art. His works are held in major public and private collections worldwide, underscoring his lasting impact on contemporary art.
Hockney has received a vast number of awards and honors, including the First Annual Award of Achievement from the Archives of American Art, Los Angeles; membership to the Board of Trustees of the American Associates of the Royal Academy Trust, New York; Distinguished Honoree of the National Arts Association, Los Angeles; the Lorenzo de Medici Lifetime Career Award of the Florence Biennale; and nine honorary degrees from institutions worldwide. In 1997, he was made a Companion of Honour from the British and Commonwealth Order for his outstanding achievement in the arts.
David Hockney’s work can be found in numerous distinguished public collections around the world, including the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; the National Gallery of Australia, Canberra; the Art Institute of Chicago; the National Portrait Gallery, London; The Tate Gallery, London; the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles; the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis; the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the Museum of Modern Art, New York; Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris; the Philadelphia Museum of Art; the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo; the Museum of Modern Art, Vienna; the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, D.C.; and the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C. He currently lives and works in Normandy, France.
