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He painted a $90 million pool and was friends with Warhol: what is the artist David Hockney, who died at 88, famous for?

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British artist and one of the founders of pop art, David Hockney, has died at the age of 88, CNN reported, citing his press secretary Erica Bolton. Hockney's representative did not disclose the cause of death, but noted that he passed away “peacefully” at his home in London a month before his 89th birthday. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed his condolences over the artist's death.

Hockney spent a significant part of his life and career in Los Angeles, California, where he painted local landscapes. One of the key elements of the artist’s paintings from that period were swimming pools – the 1972 work “Portrait of the Artist (Pool with Two Figures)” was subsequently sold at Christie’s in New York for $90.3 million. This 2018 deal for some time made Hockney the most expensive artist living at that time.

While living in the USA, Hockney met the main representative of American pop art, Andy Warhol. From this communication, their portraits of each other were born – both pictorial and photographic. Hockney spent time in Warhol's Factory studio shortly before his death in 1987 and noted that he took the loss seriously.

In addition to painting, Hockney, like Warhol, was engaged in photography, embossing, and in the 21st century began to use the latest technologies in his work. On his website, a separate section is devoted to paintings made using an iPad, some of which are self-portraits.

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One of the hallmarks of Hockney's work throughout his career was the bright and saturated colors that also characterized his style of clothing. The artist inspired both colleagues and fashion designers – in 2012, John Galliano dedicated a men's collection to him. And at one of the meetings of the holders of the British Order of Merit, Hockney appeared in yellow Crocs shoes, which amused King Charles III, CNN notes. Hockney accepted the order, which is awarded for services to science and culture, but refused to be knighted.

Hockney did not stop creating in his ninth decade and was not very interested in commercial success, CNN notes. By the way, he initially sold his most expensive work, the aforementioned “Portrait of an Artist,” for $18,000, and kept many of the paintings in his personal collection. Having an academic education (he graduated from the Royal College of Art in London), Hockney also taught in the USA and Great Britain.

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