David Hockney, one of the most influential artists of the contemporary era, has died aged 88. Born in Bradford in 1937, the British painter built a remarkable career spanning more than six decades, from his California pool paintings to his vivid Yorkshire landscapes and experiments with photography and digital drawing. His work was defined by an ambiguous use of color, light and perspective.
in spring In 2025, the Foundation Louis Vuitton dedicated a major retrospective to Hockney’s life and work. At that time, we revisited the archives of an artist who seemed destined for his profession from an early age. ‘As a child, when the bus came, I would run upstairs and run to the front row of window seats, which offered a beautiful view’ Vanity Fair In 2017. ‘Having a natural gift for drawing, I already knew I wanted to be an artist.’
1960: London to Los Angeles
In the 1960s, David Hockney founded the Royal College of Art in LondonIn what makes its home Home and garden Described in 1969 as “a large room in a rather run-down area of Notting Hill”. The space suited him for one simple reason: it was big enough to work and think. At the time, Notting Hill was far from the affluent area it is today, attracting artists with its low rents and bohemian character. Hockney slept on it mattress On the floor, surrounded by canvas and traces color which covers the wooden planks under his feet.
After his studies, Hockney moved to Los Angeles, where bright Californian light and modernist Architecture including would inspire some of his most famous works A big splash (1967). Although California became their adopted home, they maintained close ties Europe Throughout his life, he regularly returned to London and spent long periods in the latter Paris and Normandy.
