David Hockney regarded as among the world’s greatest living artists is opening his biggest ever show in Paris, filling 11 room across four floors. Two years ago, when they started planning the exhibition, “I just thought I probably wouldn’t be here”, he says. “I’m still a smoker, a happy smoker fed up of bossy people telling you what to do.” He is in poor health, having two full-time carers but still paints for four to six hours every day.
He was a significant contributor to the pop art movement of the 1960s and several years ago one of his swimming pool paintings broke the world record for a living artist selling for $90 million in New York.
Born 9 July 1937, no birth time, in Bradford, England, he has a chart replete with high confidence, ultra-determination and rebelliousness. He has a creative Cancer Sun, forming part of a talented Half Grand Sextile from an unconventional Uranus opposition Mars in intense Scorpio, sextile Neptune and Sun. Not a man who appreciates interference or being told what to do. His Jupiter in a wide, nature-loving Earth Grand Trine to Neptune and Uranus is in an assertive opposition to Pluto – he pleases himself and ignores rules set for ordinary people.
He’s always stuck to his guns about what he’ll do and not do, disregarding his Royal Art College diploma requirements, which later caused them to change their regulations.
Long may he continue.
Love this man and his work. And still top of his game at 78!
I had expected to see uranus and pluto strong in his chart. Not only because of the cutting-edge themes in his paintings or unusual mediums he used, but also because of the tragic death involving his young assistant.
I once read that Alan Bennett the playwright was so often mistaken for David Hockney (there are similarities) that eventually he began to sign autographs as Hockney so as not to disappoint people!
Artists seem to live long lives, continuing their work throughout old age. Sky Arts broadcast a series of conversations last year between Melvyn Bragg and David Hockney; I was cheered to see two elderly men(both over 80) engaging in lucid and stimulating dialogue
Sheila Hancock too. 97 and marvellous.
Thanks for the heads-up! I happen to visit this June, so will be able to attend with friends who also love his work
Hockney World is a wonderful thing to step into. I got to do that one day at the Met years back, and my biggest take away was that whatever paintings I did and didn’t favor beforehand just melted into the sum being bigger than the parts. His greatness was undeniable – and now just seeing Any of the recent works…it appears all the power is in Each piece.
The highlighted Uranus makes sense as he clearly always presented a different slant. Water fits for his very famous swimming pool work, and Cancer for the portraits series of contemporaries casually at home…but I have to say while all roads lead to exuberance and joy in his work, his astro map escapes me. ( Me being admittedly limited in discerning on my own, but usually capable with others presentations. )
That he is nearly 90, and working so fully with medical difficulties is something to behold… I wonder how much transits are influencing/helping him.
I also wonder what that glyph is next to his Mars!
Margorie…..don’t you mean “forming a “Half Grand Sextile”….you said “forming
a Half Grand Trine”
Hear, hear.Highly recommend a daylong visit to Saltaire where he set up an atmospheric art center in a mill-Salts Mill- set on a river. A slice of heaven in lovely Yorkshire.