World-renowned artist David Hockney, known for his modern approach to portraiture and colorful figurative paintings, has died. He was 88.
He first came to prominence in the 1960s, bouncing between the British and American art scenes. In some of his early paintings, notably âWe Two Boys Together Clingingâ and âTwo Men in a Shower,â Hockney explored same-sex relationships in an era when homosexuality was outlawed in Britain. In the late '60s and '70s, he painted his iconic depictions of vibrant swimming pools and other suburban domestic scenes set in sunny Southern California.
In 2018, PBS News's Jeffrey Brown spoke with Hockney as the Los Angeles County Museum of Art hosted an exhibition of his portraits.
"I know the arguments about 'painting is dead.' But painting can't die, because photography is not good enough, actually. Not good enough," Hockney said. Photography is "just a snap. But, I mean, why not look longer at something? Look longer, and you maybe see more."
In later years, he used an iPad to draft his works, noting that he's "interested in using technology that's about pictures."
ALT A person with yellow-framed glasses and a checkered scarf is smiling. Text below reads "David Hockney 1937-2026" with the PBS News logo.