David Hockney, the celebrated British artist known for his vibrant paintings of Los Angeles swimming pools and his distinctive use of acrylic paint, has died at the age of 88. The obituary traces his career from his early days at the Royal College of Art, where he was influenced by RB Kitaj, to his move to California in the 1960s, where he created iconic works such as "A Bigger Splash" (1967) and "Peter Getting Out of Nick's Pool" (1966). It highlights his fascination with the artificiality of Los Angeles and his technical shift to acrylics, which allowed for brighter colors and a flat surface texture ideal for depicting chlorinated pools.
Hockney's death marks the end of an era for one of the most influential and widely recognized figures in contemporary British art. His work, which blended modernist influences from Matisse and Cézanne with pop culture sensibilities, helped define the visual language of the 1960s and beyond. The obituary underscores his enduring legacy, not only through his best-known pool paintings but also through his broader contributions to painting, printmaking, and photography, making him a pivotal figure in the visual art world.