I've Lost The Cat!

 

Last Thursday, Yorkshire born, world renowned artist, David Hockney died. He was 88. He began life the son of an accountant and grew up in Bradford. He went to art college, and as his career took off, he went to the USA. He was a leader in the Pop Art movement. In 1967 he painted A Bigger Splash, a glorious blue swimming pool and hot summer sky in sunny California. 

I love this painting. When Liz worked at Tate Britain 20 years ago, she gave me two Hockney prints. This one, and my favourite Hockney painting - Mr and Mrs Clark and Percy. 

This was painted around 1970. The couple are fashion designer Ossie Clark and his wife, textile designer Celia Birtwell. Clark and Hockney were best friends, and David was best man at their wedding.

Celia is wearing a dress called Heavenly Twins which Ossie designed for her [in

2015 it sold for £11K and is now in Manchester] I saw this dress before that at a exhibition in London with Steph, alongside the painting. The cat was actually called Blanche [Percy was their other cat!]

On Monday I decided I would get my prints down from the loft, and display them for a few weeks as a tribute to the newly deceased painter. I picked up the cardboard storage tube. It was neatly labelled "Tate, Splash, Percy"

But it was empty!!!!  Neither print inside. I cannot work this out. If I'd decluttered and donated them, I'd have given away the tube too. If a mouse got into the tube and ate the prints, there'd be evidence [we had mice up there a few years back] If they didn't go to a CS, where have I put them? Maybe they will turn up. 

I shall just read all the obits and enjoy looking at his pictures [his later ones of Yorkshire are lovely] RIP David Hockney July 1937- June 2026

Do you have a favourite Hockney painting?