David Hockney Super Star

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[ ART ON BOARD ]

DAVID HOCKNEY SUPER STAR The famous British artist, still an important art-scene figure, is celebrated by Phillips with an annual sale, while London’s National Portrait Gallery dedicates a large exhibition to him

Jonathan Wilkinson, Collection of the artist

by Micaela Zucconi

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canvas © David Hockney. Above, David Hockney Painting Harry Styles, (With Portrait of Clive Davis), Normandy Studio, 1st June 2022. © Jean-Pierre Conçalves de Lima Right, Harry Styles, 31st May 2022 by David Hockney. Acrylic on canvas

Jonathan Wilkinson, Collection of the artist

Left page, NPG: Self Portrait, 22nd November 2021 by David Hockney. Acrylic on

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till riding the crest of a wave and even more capable of exploring new expressive forms, David Hockney (Bradford, 1937) continues to be a focus of attention. Two initiatives place

him in the spotlight this autumn. The Phillips auction house opens proceedings – after the enormous success of the auction dedicated to Hockney in 2022 and the growing demand for prints, paintings and photographs by the artist, it decided to dedicate an annual event to him. The 2023 event, a white glove sale, was held on September 20th at 30 Berkeley Square in London. Robert Kennan, Head of Editions, Europe, says, “David Hockney’s enduring appeal is clear. This white glove sale (an auction where 100% of the lots are sold - ed) exceeded all expectations, surpassing the presale estimate by a significant sale setting new auction records, this result stands as a testament to Hockney’s extraordinary artistic legacy and global appeal. From his early Bradford School of Art lithographs to his groundbreaking iPad creations, the breadth of Hockney’s work was on full display. Notably, “The Arrival of Spring in Woldgate, in 2011” took a prominent lead. We’re thrilled that this annual Hockney sale has found a permanent place in our Editions auctions calendar. This sale not only celebrates Hockney’s expansive body of work, but it also underscores our deep commitment to contemporary edition collecting”. The catalogue of works going under the hammer included the “Lithographic Water Made of Lines, Crayon, and Two Blue Washes”, 1978-80, sold for 139,242

Richard Schmidt. Collection The David Hockney Foundation

margin. With a sell-through rate of 100% by lot and nearly 30% of the

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Jonathan Wilkinson, Collection of the artist,

[ ART ON BOARD ]

Top: David Hockney, Woman With A Sewing Machine, 1954 Left, JP Gonçalves de Lima, 3rd November 2021 by David Hockney. Acrylic on Canvas. National Portrait Gallery. Gregory 1978 by David Hockney. Coloured pencil on paper. National Portrait Gallery © David Hockney

courtesy of Phillips

euro (estimate 93,000=130,000 euro), while “The Arrival of Spring in Woldgate, East Yorkshire in 2011 (twenty eleven)”, 2nd January, 2011, reached a record 263,827 euro (estimate 93,000-130,000 euro). David Hockney is regarded as one of the most influential British artists of the 20th and 21st centuries and at the age of 85 he continues to explore new creative forms, including his famous iPad paintings. He has been working with the digital medium for more than ten years now, complementing his work on canvas. The recent shows at the Pace Gallery in New York and Palm Beach and the immersive exhibition on until 23rd December at the Lightroom in London are proof of the interest in this master of colour that some compare to Matisse. In November it is the turn of London’s National Portrait Gallery, which is mounting an exhibition with over 160 works, restaging and enhancing the 2020 event. Attention is focused on the last six decades of the artist’s activities through portraits of six individuals – his mother Laura Hockney, his friend Celia Birtwell, his former partner

Richard Schmidt. Collection The David Hockney Foundation

and curator Gregory Evans, his master printer Maurice Payne and the

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artist himself, portrayed in a wide variety of media – pencil, brush, ink, crayon, photo-collage and iPad -accompanied by a selection of over thirty new portraits, including one of singer Harry Styles, painted in the artist’s studio in Normandy between 2021 and 2022 (“David Hockney: Drawing from life”, 2nd November 2023 – 21st January 2024). There’s even a biography in graphic novel format by art obsessive and stand-up comedian Simon Elliott. Taking inspiration from the artist’s recent works, its images were drawn on iPad. The book describes Hockney’s life, from his early years in Bradford to his Los Angeles period, his eventual return to Britain and his latest successes. “Hockney: A Graphic Life” is to be published in October.

courtesy of Phillips

This page, top . David Hockney, A Bigger Book, Art Edition B, 2010/2016.David Hockney, The Arrival of Spring in Woldgate, East Yorkshire in 2011 (twenty

courtesy of Phillips

eleven), 2 January, 2011. David Hockney, Lithographic Water Made of Lines, Crayon, and Two Blue Washes, 1978-80. David Hockney, Self-portrait, July 1986

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