[비즈한국] British painter David Hockney, widely known for his paintings of blue swimming pools, passed away on the 11th (local time) at the age of 88. The Hockney Foundation and his spokesperson announced that he passed away quietly at his London home, just one month shy of his 89th birthday.
LA Sunshine, Landscapes, and Swimming Pools
Born in 1937 in the historic city of Bradford, Yorkshire, England, he showed promise as early as his time at the Royal College of Art (RCA) in London. After leading the British Pop Art revival in the 1960s, he became captivated by the exotic atmosphere of California and relocated to Los Angeles. The dazzling sunlight and blue waves he encountered there changed his work forever. His depictions of the Los Angeles landscape served as the catalyst for cementing the name 'Hockney' in the global art world.
Breaking Perspectives and Radiant Colors
His signature work, 'A Bigger Splash,' became a milestone in modern painting by injecting a moment of dynamism into a flat canvas. Hockney continuously pushed the boundaries of visual arts, exploring not only painting but also photo collages, printmaking, and stage design.
New Challenges with iPhone and iPad during the Pandemic
In his later years, returning to the vast nature of Normandy, France, and his native Yorkshire, Hockney embraced iPhones and iPads as new tools instead of canvases and brushes to explore new styles of painting. His famous quote during the COVID-19 lockdown, "You cannot cancel the spring," reflects his dedication to capturing the vitality of nature through digital drawings. As he once confessed, "The world is a very, very beautiful place if you look at it," he never stopped creating until his very last moment.
In 2019, his first major solo exhibition in Asia, held at the Seoul Museum of Art, drew a near-syndromic level of popularity, with 300,000 visitors including BTS member RM (Kim Nam-joon).
London Mayor Sadiq Khan paid tribute to Hockney, calling him "a true icon of British art and a revolutionary who never stopped innovating," adding, "His vibrant seasonal landscapes helped us witness the beauty and fragility of the natural world and realize why we must protect it."
Alex Farquharson, Director of Tate Britain, mourned his passing, stating, "He taught us the 'joy of looking,' finding things that others had not yet discovered. His death is a huge loss to the art world and marks the end of a grand narrative of a master filled with constant reinvention."