- The artist died peacefully in his London home.
- Hockney was among the most influential modern artists and constantly experimented with technology.
- His painting was sold at auction for $90 million.
British artist and photographer David Hockney, who was one of the most influential figures in modern art, died at the age of 88. Hockney’s press secretary said the artist “died peacefully” on Thursday evening at his home in London, AFP reported, writes TASR.
Hockney, whose paintings were characterized by bright colors and an original view of the world, became popular in the 1960s. During a career spanning seven decades, he established himself as an acclaimed painter and draftsman. He created, experimented and exhibited practically until the end of his life.
He was known not only for portraits, but also for experimenting with graphics, photography, scenography and new technologies. After the launch of iPad tablets on the market, he started using them in creation and also collaborated on the development of specialized applications. Jhis works are currently on display at the Serpentine Gallery in London. Other projects were also being prepared in the Tate Britain gallery in London and the Munch Museum in Oslo.
Tate Britain director Alex Farquharson said the gallery would carry out two projects planned for next year, including a major retrospective of Hockney’s work. The British art historian Richard Morris wrote that the artist’s great achievement was that he “was able to create the impression that serious painting was easy”. He added that British art had lost its great.
Even the Center Pompidou in Paris, with which Hockney collaborated on important exhibitions in 1999 and 2017, highlighted his creative energy and ability to constantly come up with new ideas.
The artist retained his typical Yorkshire accent throughout his life and was known to be a heavy smoker. As his spokeswoman noted: “He smoked until the end.” Throughout his career, Hockney also enjoyed the financial success of his works. In November 2018, his painting Portrait of the Artist (Pool with Two Figures) became the most expensive work by a living artist when it sold at auction for $90 million (almost €78 million). A year later, this record was broken by the work Rabbit (Králik) by Jeff Koons.
