David Hockney Biography
David Hockney is an English painter, draftsman, printmaker, stage designer, and photographer. As an important contributor to the pop art movement of the 1960s, he is considered one of the most influential British artists of the 20th century. He has owned a residence and studio in Bridlington and London. On 15 November 2018, Hockney’s 1972 work portrait of an Artist sold at Christie’s auction house in New York City for $90 million (£70 million), becoming the most expensive artwork by a living artist sold at auction. This broke the previous record, set by the 2013 sale of Jeff Koons’ Balloon Dog (Orange) for $58.4 million. He held this record until 15 May 2019, Jeff Koons reclaimed the honor when his Rabbit sold for more than $91 million at Christie’s in New York.
How old is David Hockney? – Age
The English painter is 83 years old as of 9th July 2020. He was born in 1937 in Bradford, United Kingdom.
Who are David Hockney Parents? – Father and mother
The English painter was born as the son to Laura and Kenneth Hockney (a conscientious objector in the second World War).
David Hockney Siblings
The English painter is not the only child in their family. He has four siblings. He is the fourth of five children. They were all raised well with his two parents.
David Hockney Education
The English painter was educated at Wellington Primary School, Bradford Grammar school, Bradford college of Art and the Royal College of Art in London, where he met R. B. Kitaj. While there, he said he felt at home and took pride in his work.
Is David Hockney in a Relationship? – Spouse
Yes, the English painter is in love. He is gay and has explored the nature of gay love in his portraiture. As of 2021, he resides in LA with his partner of more than 17 years, Jean-Pierre Gonçalves de Lima, a French native who doubles as chief assistant.
Previously, while teaching at UCLA he met Peter Schlesinger, an art student who posed for paintings and drawings, and with whom he became romantically involved. But by the early ’70s, the former gay duo’s relationship had already hit rock bottom. So publicized was their breakup that it even made it to the film – A Bigger Splash (1974).
David Hockney Career
The English painter’s early paintings incorporated his literary leanings, and he used fragments of poems and quotations from Walt Whitman in his work. This practice, and paintings such as We Two Boys Clinging Together, which he created in 1961, were the first nods to his homosexuality in his art.
Because he frequently went to the movies with his father as a child, the painter once quipped that he was raised in both Bradford and Hollywood. He was drawn to the light and the heat of California, and first visited Los Angeles in 1963. He officially moved there in 1966. The swimming pools of L.A. were one of his favorite subjects, and he became known for large, iconic works such as A Bigger Splash. His expressionistic style evolved, and by the 1970s, he was considered more of a realist.
In addition to pools, the painter painted the interiors and exteriors of California homes. In 1970, this led to the creation of his first “joiner,” an assemblage of Polaroid photos laid out in a grid. Although this medium would become one of his claims to fame, he stumbled upon it by accident. While working on a painting of a Los Angeles living room, he took a series of photos for his own reference, and fixed them together so he could paint from the image. When he finished, however, he recognized the collage as an art form unto itself, and began to create more.
On 21 June 2006, Hockney’s painting The Splash sold for £2.6 million. It was offered for auction again on 11 February 2020, with an estimate of £20-30 million and sold, to an unknown buyer, for £23.1 million.
David Hockney Net worth
The English painter has an estimated net worth of around $150 million as of 2021.
