Inspired by David Hockney

“With the iPad, my hands are always clean, but I always have the reflex of wanting to wipe them off on my jacket, especially before using yellow." D.H.

Pop art icon, David Hockney, was inspired by Impressionist landscapes. His largely autobiographical work combines travels, natural scenes, landscapes and intimate self-portraits. The octogenarian continues to inspire artists with his innovative techniques today, where exhibitions have been dedicated to his paintings, photography and beautiful creations on his iPhone and iPad.

Born in Bradford UK in 1937, David Hockney is the fourth youngest of five children. A dreamer from a young age, he idolised Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse, who quickly sparked his appetite for art and painting. With his parents' encouragement, he studied art at Bradford College of Art from 1953 to 1957. He was immensely dedicated to his studies, and in 1959 he earned a place at the prestigious Royal College of Art in London. It was at the RA that he became acquainted with abstract art, before moving to Los Angeles in 1963.

Los Angeles encapsulated everything the young Hockney dreamt about; Hollywood and cinema. Hockney claims to have been brought up between Bradford and Hollywood, due to his frequent childhood visits to the cinema with his father. The city's influence can be clearly felt in his work, where the huge West Coast villas and pools inspired one of his most famous works, “A Bigger Splash."

Hockney's artistic technique developed significantly in the 1970s, becoming more realistic and graphic. He added beautiful interiors to his images of pools, depicting stylish homes and their owners. Hockney also discovered his passion for photography- a medium which would completely change his creative process. He dedicated a lot of time to assembling polaroids in order to recreate a comprehensive and all-round image.

In the late 80s, Hockney re-kindled his first love; painting. He was also one of the first artists to incorporate technology into his practice, and in the 1990s he used laser photocopiers and fax machines to create works. In 2009, he became an avid user of the “Brushes" Iphone and Ipad app, where hundreds of these drawings were exhibited at the Royal Museum Ontario, in 2011.

David Hockney is an advocate for the LGBTQ cause, and used fragments of Walt Whitman poems in his early works. The first work that highlighted homosexuality was his painting “We Two Boys Swinging" in 1961.

After the Pompidou Centre's dedication to him, we're also inviting you to discover (or rediscover) David Hockney's work. Whether it's LOg's architectural paintings, Alain Longeaud's photographs or Catherine Balet's incredible prints, these works pay tribute to the iconic artist by drawing inspiration from his incredible talent.