David Hockney, influential British artist, dies aged 88
Quick Look
- British artist David Hockney, a defining figure in contemporary art known for his vibrant paintings, has died at the age of 88.
- His publicist announced his death on Friday, stating he passed away peacefully at his London home.
- Hockney, a pop art pioneer, had a career spanning seven decades and continued to paint and exhibit until his death.
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Why It Matters
David Hockney was a highly influential British artist known for his vibrant paintings and multimedia approach. He was a pioneer of the 1960s pop art movement and continued to paint and exhibit throughout his long career.
British artist David Hockney, one of the most influential and defining figures in contemporary art whose paintings captured the world in brilliant colour, has died aged 88, his publicist announced on Friday.
Tributes poured in for the 1960s pop art pioneer who established himself as a globally renowned painter and master draughtsman and kept painting, experimenting and exhibiting right up until his death.
“I think I’ve something to say to people – that’s why,” he told the Daily Telegraph in October in his last major interview.
Lauding him as “one of the most important figures in contemporary art in both the 20th and 21st centuries”, his publicist Erica Bolton said he died “peacefully at home” in London on Thursday, a month before his 89th birthday.
“His seven-decade career and prolific oeuvre was characterised by his multimedia approach in image making, an intellectual inquiry into the nature of depiction and perspective, and a sustained commitment to celebrating and portraying the world around him,” her statement added.
Acclaimed worldwide, Britain made him a Companion of Honour in 1997. Earlier this year, Hockney became one of the few non-French citizens to be awarded the highest level of France’s main civilian honour, the legion d’honneur.
