Friends pay emotional tribute to ‘the ultimate big friendly giant’
Although famed for his paintings of Los Angeles swimming pools, David Hockney himself has said: “In the end it might all be about Bridlington.”
The artist has spent much of his time in East Yorkshire in recent years, which he has helped place firmly on the map with his Royal Academy show last year.
Although his painting has bought international attention to an often overlooked part of the world, he appears less concerned about getting involved in local matters.
Most recently it was reported that plans to grant the artist the freedom of the town and re-name a gallery in his honour were unlikely to go ahead because he “isn’t interested”.