Celebrated British artist David Hockney dies aged 88

[beak]

Hockney’s depictions of homosexual life were nothing short of revolutionary.

In an otherwise conservative era, he broke social taboos by celebrating gay relationships through his art.

He often depicted the quiet, everyday moments of gay domestic life at a time when such scenes were just not seen in the mainstream.

And what made it so revolutionary? He started doing it at a time when being gay was still criminalised in the UK.

In 1961, as a second-year student at the Royal College of Art, six years before homosexuality began to be decriminalised, he painted 'We Two Boys Together Clinging', named after a Walt Whitman poem.

He later went on to describe his early works as “propaganda of something I felt hadn't been propagandised as a subject: homosexuality.”

Dominic James Bilton, co-leader of the Queer British Art Network, told the BBC: “We’ve lost one of those people who were making changes in society before it was socially and culturally acceptable to be gay.

“He pioneered queer British art before it was fashionable to do so, before contemporary society built upon it.

“We’ve lost a giant of queer British art that subsequent generations have been inspired by and built upon and there’s not many people we can say that about.”

 

[georgenorman]

Hockney’s depictions of homosexual life were nothing short of revolutionary.

In an otherwise conservative era, he broke social taboos by celebrating gay relationships through his art.

He often depicted the quiet, everyday moments of gay domestic life at a time when such scenes were just not seen in the mainstream.

And what made it so revolutionary? He started doing it at a time when being gay was still criminalised in the UK.

In 1961, as a second-year student at the Royal College of Art, six years before homosexuality began to be decriminalised, he painted 'We Two Boys Together Clinging', named after a Walt Whitman poem.

He later went on to describe his early works as “propaganda of something I felt hadn't been propagandised as a subject: homosexuality.”

Dominic James Bilton, co-leader of the Queer British Art Network, told the BBC: “We’ve lost one of those people who were making changes in society before it was socially and culturally acceptable to be gay.

“He pioneered queer British art before it was fashionable to do so, before contemporary society built upon it.

“We’ve lost a giant of queer British art that subsequent generations have been inspired by and built upon and there’s not many people we can say that about.”

Being homosexual was not illegal in the UK, the participation in sexual acts between men was.
I'm a fan of Hockney's work, he was no doubt our greatest living artist - who is now I wonder?
The homosexual references in some of his paintings are a relatively minor aspect of his work. (Also, Francis Bacon was making paintings that often had homosexual elements long before Hockney.)

 

[Nicholas91]

Couldn't care less about gay propaganda seeing as it's everywhere these days, or any other propaganda in all honesty, however it is the loss of a great British artist.

If you'd like a very real anecdote though - I have the grandparents here babysitting whilst I work and following seeing it on my phone, I shouted the news down to the old man, not long after he informed me of Kenny Jackett's passing.

Moments later, I could hear him explaining to my mum who David Hopkin was... or still is (to the best of my knowledge).

 

[Teddy Eagle]

Very sad. He was a brilliant artist who followed his own path and didn't care who he upset. As well as his paintings his collages of Polaroids were a very interesting experiment in perspective.

 

[PalazioVecchio]

Every time i see one of his paintings i think of....the Eastern european hooer of Tony Soprano. she said the painter was 'david hockey'

 

[PalazioVecchio]

Very sad.

He was 88 for fv.cks sake. Its not that sad.

 

[georgenorman]

He was 88 for fv.cks sake. Its not that sad.

It's sad that most of the British artists we have left are so mediocre. The quality of art always declines in failing civilisations.

 

[PalazioVecchio]

It's sad that most of the British artists we have left are so mediocre. The quality of art always declines in failing civilisations.

True. Banksy & Tracy Emin are shyte.

As discussed elsewhere, artists achieve fame only after 'getting the nod' from The Establishment.

Its all as bland & predictable as an episode of Jools Holland.

Back in the day when album sales mattered, the public got to decide what musicians mattered. Not the Mainstream media. A case in point being 'the pogues'....hated by the bbc for their republican politics, yet still successful.
To analyse art, follow the money behind the art. It matters today and also did for the patrons behind the Renaissance.

 

[Tyke Exile]

When I lived in Bingley, W Yorks, I took some visiting friends down the road to Salts Mill in Saltaire where they have (had?) lots of Hockneys exhibited. There was a framed photo of a view of a glacier from the back of a ship that was just lying around on the floor and my friend thought it was just part of the general merchandise on sale and asked "how much". An indignant assistant answered "Sir, that is an original Hockney piece and is beyond price!". I often wondered why it was just on the floor and how many others asked the same question. I bought a framed poster of "A Bigger Splash" and it's still on my wall. Keep painting David.

 

[steeleye20]

His vivid unique style, there is nothing like a Hockney it's just so different from any other painter you could name.

RIP

😎

 

[chris123]

His vivid unique style, there is nothing like a Hockney it's just so different from any other painter you could name.

RIP

😎

Francisco de Zurbaran

 

[Matov]

RIP.

 

[Living In Hope]

Wonderful artist with a hugely distinctive style on largely ordinary subjects. Last month I went to see his work at The Serpentine Gallery, showing the progression of the seasons on a landscape in Normandy. It sounds dull, but it was beautiful and somehow incredibly soothing. I recommend it unreservedly (free of charge too).