A Short Biography of David Hockney

Another watery piece featured in our March Masters show from the 1972 Olympics series is this one, by David Hockney. This work by the Englishman, Hockney, showcases his interest during this period in illustrations of human figures and water.

Original Poster by David Hockney Printed in 1972

1937-

David Hockney was born in Yorkshire, England.  As a teenager, he asked to attend art school where he studied traditional painting techniques.  He had a keen interest in photography, and was strongly influenced by American Abstract Impressionists.  In the 1960s, he made his first visit to the US, where he met Andy Warhol.  A few years later, he visited Los Angeles for the first time, and moved there soon after that.  Hockney loved images of water, and images of figures.  For this British boy, all that sunny LA had to offer became his subject matter.  For a time he used Polaroid images and acrylic paints to create his signature sun-drenched style.

Hockney’s pop art style and his obsession with the California lifestyle, so different than that of an Englishmen, characterize his design for the Munich Olympics.

Olympische Spiele Munchen “The Artistic Series”

Olympics Posters have been prized since the first International Olympics in 1896.

Original David Hockney Olympics Poster Printed 1972

Because the Olympics is such an important event and an event which is planned many years ahead of time, Olympics committees develop a concept, sometimes a logo or official image and mascot and then these things become part of the graphic identity of a particular Olympics. The posters are commissioned years in advance, and the artists chosen with care, often by contest.

It is a truism that artists produce better work when they are expressing themselves, then when they are trying to express the vision of their clients by commission.  (For more on this, see “Drive” by Daniel Patterson)*  This is apparent when viewing the famous “Artistic Series” of Olympic Posters from the 1972 Olympics in Munich.

Original Josef Albers Olympics Poster Printed 1972

The 1960’s encouraged experiment, and so, for the first time, a group of artists was selected by the Olympics Committee to create osters and given free reign to create what they pleased.  Twenty-eight artists from Japan, Britain, Scotland, Germany, The US, Russia, Austria, Switzerland, Poland,  France, Spain, and Italy designed these posters, and they were printed and sold through the Kennedy galleries of New York.

Some of the artists were already quite prominent when commissioned, such as Jacob Lawrence, Joseph Albers and David Hockney.  Others were lesser known, A few were rising stars such as Chilled, Hartung, Kokoshka. Regardless of the fame of the artist, these posters are a great graphic representation of the style of contemporary art of the time period.

Original Otmar Alt Olympics Poster Printed 1972

Many of our clients collect these posters, because they are beautiful, affordable, and they work well in groupings. In fact, they read like pop art when framed with chunky brushed aluminum frames or white frames.

Our blog, for the next few weeks, will feature some of these posters.  They fit very well with our March Exhibition “March Masters”  which open March 17th in our showroom in Berkeley.  This show features the poster art of fine artists.  You can view the entire Olympics series on our website in the sports section. Enjoy!

*Pink, Daniel H. Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. New York: Riverhead, 2011. Print.