David Hockney: The Artist Who Repainted the World in Color
- squint
- May 8
- 2 min read
David Hockney isn’t just one of the most influential British artists of the 20th and 21st centuries—he’s a living, breathing burst of color in an often grayscale world. Known for his bold palettes, experimental techniques, and refusal to be boxed in, Hockney has spent over six decades pushing the boundaries of what art can be. From the sun-drenched swimming pools of Los Angeles to the iPad in his hand, Hockney has always seen the world a little differently—and invited us to do the same.
Born to Break the Rules
Born in Bradford, England in 1937, Hockney grew up in a working-class family where art wasn’t exactly a career path. But from an early age, he was drawn to images, color, and storytelling. After studying at the Royal College of Art in London (where he famously refused to write the required essay and still graduated with honors), he burst onto the British Pop Art scene in the early 1960s—though Hockney never liked the "pop artist" label. His early work was witty, raw, and deeply personal, often exploring his identity as a gay man in a time of repression.
California Dreaming
A visit to California in the mid-60s changed everything. Hockney fell in love with the light, the lifestyle, and especially the swimming pools. These pools became iconic subjects in his work, especially in his famous painting A Bigger Splash(1967), where he captured not just a moment, but a way of life—clean lines, endless sky, and the sudden splash of human presence.
California also inspired his experiments with perspective. Unlike traditional Western art, which favors a single vanishing point, Hockney wanted to capture how we really see—constantly shifting, moving, focusing. This led to his pioneering photo collages, like Pearblossom Hwy (1986), made up of hundreds of Polaroid photos stitched together into a visual mosaic.
Digital Pioneer
While many artists stick to one medium, Hockney has always been an artistic nomad. In the 2000s, he embraced digital tools like the iPhone and iPad, sketching luminous landscapes and daily scenes with his fingertips. For him, drawing on a screen wasn’t a gimmick—it was another brush, another way to see.
His 2021 show The Arrival of Spring, Normandy, 2020 showcased iPad drawings of the French countryside during lockdown, a timely reminder that even in isolation, beauty and creativity can thrive. At 83, he was still innovating.
Seeing with Hockney Eyes
What makes David Hockney truly cool isn’t just his mastery of color or his prolific output—it’s his unshakable curiosity. He’s always asking questions: How do we really see? What is the role of technology in art? Can you still make something radical with a brushstroke—or a pixel?
Even now, in his late 80s, Hockney continues to create, inspire, and challenge. He reminds us that art is not about style or era—it’s about looking. Closely. With joy, with wonder, and with the courage to paint your own version of the world.
