David Hockney

David Hockney was born in Bradford, England, on July 9, 1937. He loved books and was interested in art from an early age, admiring Picasso, Matisse and Fragonard.

In 1959, he entered graduate school at the Royal College of Art in London alongside other young artists such as Peter Blake and Allen Jones, and he experimented with different forms, including abstract expressionism. He did well as a student, and his paintings won prizes and were purchased for private collections. In 1963 he visited Los Angeles. He officially moved there in 1966.

His expressionistic style evolved, and by the 1970s, he was considered more of a realist.

While working on a painting of a Los Angeles living room, he took a series of photos for his own reference, and fixed them together so he could paint from the image. When he finished, however, he recognized the collage as an art form unto itself, and began to create more.

He also began incorporating technology in his art, creating his first homemade prints on a photocopier in 1986.

Hockney was voted the most influential British artist of all time. He continues to paint and exhibit, and advocates for funding for the arts.

Red Pots In The Garden, 2000

Bigger Trees Nearer Warter, Winter 2007

Merced River,Yosemite Valley, Sept. 1982