David Hockney

David Hockney (b. 1937) is one of Britain’s most celebrated contemporary artists, renowned for his vibrant use of colour, innovative techniques, and bold depictions of modern life. Born in Bradford, England, Hockney studied at the Royal College of Art in London, where he quickly gained recognition as a leading figure in the Pop Art movement of the 1960s. His early work featured expressive line drawings and portraits, often infused with personal themes and a distinct sense of humour.

Hockney’s move to Los Angeles in the mid-1960s profoundly influenced his artistic style. There, he developed his iconic swimming pool series—such as A Bigger Splash—characterised by flat planes of colour, clean lines, and a Californian sense of light and leisure. Over the decades, his work has spanned painting, drawing, photography, and more recently, digital media, including iPad drawings and immersive video installations. Hockney's explorations of perspective and space—particularly in landscape works like those of the Yorkshire countryside—have pushed the boundaries of traditional composition.

Hockney’s work is held in major international collections, including the Tate (www.tate.org.uk) and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. A major retrospective at Tate Britain in 2017 confirmed his enduring relevance and influence. He continues to experiment with new technologies and approaches, maintaining an active creative practice well into his 80s.

The market for Hockney’s work remains exceptionally strong. His painting Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures) sold at auction in 2018 for over $90 million, briefly setting a record for a living artist. Both his original works and limited edition prints command high prices at auction and through galleries. Collectors value Hockney for his recognisable style and continual innovation.

Swimming / Diving (Munich Olympic Games), 1972

Designed by David Hockney for the Munich 1972 Olympic Games, Swimming / Diving translates the artist’s iconic exploration of pools, light, and the human body into a striking graphic format. The undulating water patterns, flattened perspective, and vivid colour echo the visual language of Hockney’s most celebrated pool paintings, created just a few years earlier in California. Printed in Switzerland by Matthieu AG to exceptional standards, this original period poster stands at the intersection of fine art, modernist design, and international sporting culture, and is regarded as one of the defining images of the Munich 1972 Games.

Remember You Cannot Look (2021)

This work is based on a digital iPad drawing by Hockney that formed part of a major worldwide public art event in 2021, when an animated version of the work was shown on large outdoor screens in cities including London (Piccadilly Circus), New York (Times Square), and others around the world. Conceived as a shared global moment of reflection during the COVID period, the image traces the sun’s intensifying presence before concluding with Hockney’s handwritten meditation on mortality and perception. The translation of this internationally broadcast digital work into a limited-edition lithographic poster gives lasting form to one of the most visible and widely experienced moments of Hockney’s late career.