A new exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery has brought renewed attention to David Hockney’s early works, which the artist has described as depicting a ‘peaceful, gay paradise’ during a time when homosexuality was a criminal offence in the United Kingdom. The show, titled ‘Hockney: A Life in Colour’, runs until January and features pieces from the 1960s and 70s, a period when the artist was navigating a society that outlawed his identity.
Hockney, now 87, has long been celebrated for his vibrant landscapes and portraits. But this exhibition focuses on the quiet defiance in his earlier works, which often depicted homoerotic themes and tender male intimacy. The paintings, such as ‘We Two Boys Together Clinging’ (1961) and ‘Domestic Scene, Los Angeles’ (1963), show couples in private moments: embracing, reading, or simply existing in shared spaces. These were not just artistic choices but political acts. At the time, the Sexual Offences Act 1967, which decriminalised homosexual acts in England and Wales, was still years away.
‘These works were my way of saying, we exist, we love, and we are not ashamed,’ Hockney said in a recorded interview accompanying the exhibition. ‘It was a paradise I had to paint, because I couldn’t live it openly.’
The exhibition curator, Dr. Eleanor Blake, noted the courage required to create such art. ‘In the 1960s, Hockney risked prosecution, social ostracism, and career damage. Yet he persisted, embedding coded symbols and references in his work that other gay men could recognise,’ she explained. ‘The use of water, for instance, often signified baptism or cleansing, but also freedom. In ‘A Bigger Splash’ (1967), the empty chair and the solitary figure in the pool suggest a waiting lover, a narrative of longing and fulfilled desire.’
The timing of the exhibition is poignant. As hate crimes against the LGBTQ+ community rise globally, Hockney’s early works serve as a reminder of the fragility of hard-won rights. ‘We cannot take progress for granted,’ Blake added. ‘Hockney’s paradise was a refuge from a hostile world, but it was also an act of resistance. Today, we must continue that resistance.’
Hockney himself remains optimistic about the future, though he notes the climate of political polarisation. ‘Young people are more accepting, but there are still many battles to fight. Art can be a weapon, but it can also be a comfort. I hope my paintings bring comfort to those who feel alone.’
The exhibition has drawn large crowds, with visitors queuing for hours to see the works. One attendee, 24-year-old Samir Patel, said: ‘I knew Hockney was a gay icon, but seeing these paintings from the 60s, you realise how brave he was. They feel so radical even today.’
As a climate scientist, I often speak of the physical reality of a warming world. But human history is also a record of societal shifts, of courage in the face of persecution. Hockney’s ‘peaceful, gay paradise’ is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the transformative power of art. In a world that often seems on the brink of collapse, such testaments matter. They remind us of the beauty we fight to preserve.
