Collection: Hockney, David

*09.06.1937 Bradford

biography

The painter, graphic artist and photographer David Hockney, born on July 9, 1937 in Bredford in Yorkshire, England, is often classified as Pop Art, but in fact the majority of Hockney's work goes far beyond that. In his various creative phases and styles, David Hockney processes very different perspectives and influences of contemporary art. A focus since the early 1960s has been Hockney's portrait-like figures and figurative paintings in cool, artificial gestures and reduced color arrangements. At the beginning of the 1970s, David Hockney expanded the often somewhat sterile and artificial-looking subjects with his famous swimming pool compositions and water portraits, which further support the intended coolness with their blue color effect. By this time, David Hockney had completely broken away from his early graphic expression and moved closer to a photorealistic style of detail. However, this changed radically at least since 1980 due to Hockney's longer stays and residences in California. In a graphically relaxed style, David Hockney's paintings glow in strong, warm color contrasts, showing spacious interiors or panoramic Californian landscapes. Since the 1970s, David Hockney has included photo studies in his work, and since 1982 he has been creating large-format photo collages. Photography has now become a medium for David Hockney that is on an equal footing with his painting and that clearly shows cross-references. From the beginning of his artistic career, David Hockney was one of the most fascinating figures on the international art scene. A large number of biographies as well as documentaries, "A Bigger Splash" in 1974, and television reports now identify David Hockney as an artist of the century who can only be understood imperfectly by the label of Pop Art.