British artist David Hockney died on Thursday at his home in London at the age of 88. Born in Bradford, England, in 1937, Hockney became a celebrated icon of the 20th and 21st centuries, known for his work in the London art scene and his later move to Los Angeles. Throughout his career, he was recognized for bucking art world trends by focusing on the human figure and defending the medium of painting against photography and emerging technologies, such as digital drawings on iPhones and iPads. Hockney’s early work, including the 1961 painting We Two Boys Together Clinging, depicted same-sex relationships at a time when homosexuality was still illegal in the UK. While the law was only partially decriminalized in 1967, art critics and commentators note that Hockney was pioneering by unashamedly portraying queer lives. According to curator James Marshall, these early works served as a strong act of protest because they presented gay life as normalized and domesticated, contrasting with the stereotypes and parodies common in 1960s popular culture. After moving to California in 1964, Hockney’s style changed significantly, leading to his famous swimming pool series. Works such as Peter Getting Out of Nick’s Pool and Domestic Scene, Los Angeles are described by some observers as capturing the “domesticity” and “dull aspects” of gay relationships. Fan Joe Thomas characterized Peter Getting Out of Nick’s Pool as a “snapshot of a peaceful, beautiful and gay paradise,” while critic Michael Valinsky suggested the paintings offered society new visual ways to engage with ideas about homosexuality without naming them directly. Hockney’s legacy includes a career of exploring the human face, portraiture, and the relationship between humans and nature. Art critic Will Gompertz described Hockney as a “thoughtful, bold, curious, colourful character” whose work remained radical by celebrating beauty and life. His death comes less than a year after a major retrospective at the Louis Vuitton Foundation in Paris.