David Hockney, the celebrated British artist whose vibrant depictions of California pools and pioneering digital works defined contemporary art, has died at age 88. His publicist confirmed he passed away Thursday at his London home, just weeks before his 89th birthday.
Over a seven-decade career, Hockney mastered painting, collage, photography, and iPad drawing. Born in Bradford, England, he became synonymous with Southern California’s sun-drenched aesthetic before returning to Europe to capture the landscapes of Yorkshire and Normandy. His work consistently commanded record prices, including a $90.3 million auction sale in 2018 for Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures).
Hockney was a central figure in the 1960s pop art movement, though he always identified with the English tradition. He openly explored gay themes when homosexuality remained illegal in Britain, treating male subjects with the same tenderness historically reserved for female nudes. Curator Norman Rosenthal recently described him as "the Picasso of our times" for fundamentally changing visual perception.
The artist embraced technology late in life, producing joyous iPad drawings during the 2020 pandemic lockdown. These works carried his defiant message: "Do remember they can’t cancel the spring." Despite hearing loss and a minor stroke in 2012, Hockney maintained that sensory deprivation sharpened his visual acuity.
He is survived by his longtime partner Jean-Pierre Gonçalves de Lima, his great-nephew Richard Hockney, and two brothers. Known as a lifelong smoker who viewed the habit as a pleasure, Hockney worked until the end, stating that sixty years of daily painting kept him young.