Hyperallergic's weekly 'In Memoriam' column honors seven figures from the art world who recently died, including British painter David Hockney (1937–2026), poet-photographer Duane Michals (1932–2026), and abstract expressionist Danny Simmons (1953–2026). Other obituaries cover Russian political dissident artist Robert Kuzovkov (aka Semyon Skrepetsky), portrait photographer William Coupon, performance artist and PS 122 co-founder Charles Dennis, Japanese photographer Hiromitsu Morimoto, and photographer David Plowden. Each entry summarizes the artist's career, key works, and institutional affiliations.
This article matters because it provides a consolidated record of significant losses across multiple generations and genres of visual art—from Hockney's iconic pool paintings and LGBTQ+ advocacy to Michals' poetic photography, Simmons' championing of Black artists, and the grassroots legacy of PS 122. The column serves as an essential historical document for the art community, acknowledging contributions that shaped contemporary art, photography, performance, and political dissent.