David Hockney at 87: A Retrospective of His Artistic Evolution

David Hockney, born in 1937 in England, remains a practicing and successful artist at 87. Trained as a traditional figurative artist, he gained fame for simplified compositions of swimming pools and natural scenes in vivid colors. He has embraced technology, using iPhone and iPad for art since 2009. Hockney's early years included studies at the Royal College of Art in London, where he experimented with abstraction and Jean Dubuffet's style before committing to depicting the material world. In 1964, he moved to California, where his style transformed under the influence of sunlight and lifestyle. His swimming pool series, starting in 1966, features empty scenes with a single splash, painted with rollers and meticulous brushwork. He also created numerous portraits, including a viral 2023 portrait of Harry Styles. In 1998, he completed 'A Bigger Grand Canyon' using 60 canvases, inspired by Chinese scrolls. In the late 1990s, he proposed the Hockney-Falco thesis, suggesting Old Masters used optical devices, which drew criticism from art historians and scientists. Hockney's iPad paintings, inspired by Monet, continue the plein-air tradition. His works are held in major collections, and he has exhibited globally.