With that shock of blonde hair, round specs, mischievous grin and perpetual cigarette hanging out of his mouth, David Hockney has transcended the art world and occupies a place in popular culture. He’s an icon of creativity to generations, from fashion designers to filmmakers, for the way he has never rested on his laurels but instead always sought new styles and ideas.
Most famous for the paintings he made in Los Angeles in the 60s and 70s — languid, painterly takes on mid century modernism — Hockney created work full of pastel shades, swimming pools, and California landscapes. But beyond the famous images, the artist has spent large parts of his career shifting from style to style and finding idiosyncratic modes of expressions for his art — from early, cubist inspired, works that daringly referenced homosexuality at a time when the subject was still taboo to experiments in photo collage and computer art.
The exhibition will chart Hockney’s career chronologically, from growing up in Bradford to the present day. It’s slated to be the biggest show the Tate has ever organized, featuring over 160 works from across his six decade-spanning career.
David Hockney will run from February 9 – May 29, 2017 at Tate Britain.