David Hockney (born 1937, Bradford) is one of Britain’s most celebrated living artists. He studied at the Bradford School of Art and the Royal College of Art in London, emerging in the early 1960s alongside the British Pop Art scene while keeping a distinctly personal style.
Hockney is best known for his luminous use of colour and clear, uncluttered compositions. His Los Angeles paintings of swimming pools and modern houses; such as A Bigger Splash and Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures), brought him international recognition. Portraits of friends and family, and tender domestic scenes, run through his work.
Restlessly curious, he has experimented with photography (“joiners” made from Polaroids and prints), photocopiers, fax machines, and later with iPhone and iPad drawing. He has also designed sets for the opera, bringing his sense of space and colour to the stage.
In the 2000s he returned to Yorkshire to paint large-scale landscapes, before continuing to work between the UK and France. Across decades, Hockney has remained committed to looking closely at the world and finding new ways to picture it, combining technical invention with an approachable, everyday subject matter.