Arts & Entertainment

David Hockney shares new work as symbol of hope in pandemic

Published

6 years ago

March 21, 2020

*“Do remember they can’t cancel the spring” by **David Hockney** (Image via Instagram)*

One of the world’s greatest living artists has delivered a much-needed message of hope with a new painting unveiled this week.

David Hockney, 82, shared the new piece on Thursday via Instagram, through Denmark’s Louisiana Museum of Modern Art. A drawing composed on his iPad, the image depicts a cluster of bright yellow daffodils blossoming in the midst of a green field with a grey and barren landscape in the distant background.

The new work is titled, “Do remember they can’t cancel the spring.”

The British artist is a painter, draftsman, printmaker, stage designer, and photographer known as one of the key figures in the pop art movement of the 1960s. The iconic imagery he has produced includes a series of three swimming-pool-themed paintings – “The Splash,” “A Little Splash,” and “A Bigger Splash” – which are his most widely-recognized works. A 1972 work, “Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures),” set the record for the largest amount paid for an artwork by a living artist when it sold at auction in November 2018 for $90 million – though that record was subsequently broken when Jeff Koons’ “Rabbit” sold at Christie’s in New York for $91 million a few months later.

He has been openly gay throughout his career, exploring his sexuality through artworks such as “We Two Boys Together Clinging,” named after a poem by Walt Whitman.

Hockney has been weathering the coronavirus lockdown at his home in Normandy, the northern French where he relocated from Los Angeles in 2018, jokingly citing the ability to smoke in restaurants as one of the reasons for his transatlantic move, according to The Daily Mail.

He told interviewers, ‘I’d like to just work and paint, and to be able to smoke and eat in a restaurant at the same time. Thank God for Normandy. The French know how to live. They know about pleasure.”

Up Next

Irish national track champion comes out as gay

Don't Miss

ONR releases new song and video, ‘Human Enough’

FUND LGBTQ JOURNALISM

Photos

PHOTOS: Whitman-Walker Gala

LGBTQ community health organization holds annual event at Ritz-Carlton

Published

13 hours ago

November 14, 2025

Michael Key

Whitman-Walker Health CEO Naseema Shafi speaks at the Whitman-Walker 2025 Gala on Wednesday, Nov. 14. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

The Whitman-Walker 2025 Gala was held at the Ritz-Carlton Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, Nov. 12.

(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

Out & About

Trans Day of Resilience set for Nov. 22

Leadership brunch, ‘Chat & Chew,’ fashion show and live performances planned

Published

17 hours ago

November 14, 2025

Staff reports

(Photo by nito/Bigstock)

Capital Pride will host the Trans Day of Resilience Leadership Brunch on Saturday, Nov. 22 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the DC LGBTQ+ Community Center (1827 Wiltberger Street, N.W.). For more information and to RSVP, visit this link.

There will be a Trans Day of Resilience “Community Chat & Chew” at 5 p.m., followed by an 8 p.m. fashion show and live performances at 9 p.m. at TransMission (1353 H Street, N.E.). The event is 21+. More information about the event is available on Facebook.

Calendar

Calendar: November 14-20

LGBTQ events in the days to come

Published

18 hours ago

November 14, 2025

Tinashe Chingarande

Friday, November 14

“Center Aging Friday Tea Time” will be at 12 p.m. in person at the DC Center for the LGBT Community’s new location at 1827 Wiltberger St., NW. To RSVP, visit the DC Center’s website or email [email protected].

Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Happy Hour” at 7 p.m. at Trade. This event is ideal for making new friends, professional networking, idea-sharing, and community building. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

Women in their Twenties and Thirties will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a social discussion group for women living in the D.C. area. For more information join the group’s closed Facebook group.

The DC Center for the LGBT Community will host “Daytime Docs and Dramas Screening of ‘Summer Qamp’” at 12:30 p.m. This free event will celebrate queer youth, resilience and the power of living authentically. To RSVP, visit this link.

Saturday, November 15

Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Brunch” at 12 p.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant. This fun weekly event brings the DMV area LGBTQ+ community, including allies, together for delicious food and conversation. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

LGBTQ People of Color Support Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This group is an outlet for people of color to come together and talk about anything that affects them in a space that strives to be safe and judgement free. For more details, visit thedccenter.org/poc or facebook.com/centerpoc.

Sunday, November 16

Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Salon” at 5 p.m. at Federico Ristorante Italiano. Guests are encouraged to come enjoy stimulating conversation and dining. For more details, visit Eventbrite.

Monday, November 17

“Center Aging: Monday Coffee Klatch” will be at 10 a.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ+ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more information, contact Adam ([email protected]).

“Soulfully Queer: LGBTQ+ Emotional Health and Spirituality Drop-In” will be at 3:00p.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. This group will meet weekly for eight weeks, providing a series of drop-in sessions designed to offer a safe, welcoming space for open and respectful conversation. Each session invites participants to explore themes of spirituality, identity, and belonging at their own pace, whether they attend regularly or drop in occasionally. For more details visit the DC Center’s website.

Tuesday, November 18

Center Bi+ Roundtable Discussion will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This event is a is an opportunity for people to gather in order to discuss issues related to bisexuality or as Bi individuals in a private setting. For more details, visit Facebook or Meetup.

The DC Center for the LGBT Community will host “Tae Kwon Do class” at 12:30. This inclusive and beginner-friendly class, led by Instructor Avi Rome, offers a light warm-up, stretching, and instruction in basic techniques, patterns, and striking padded targets. Each session is designed to be adaptable for all ability and mobility levels, creating a welcoming space for everyone to build strength, confidence, and community through martial arts. For more details, visit the Center’s website.

Wednesday, November 19

Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom. This is a weekly job support program to help job entrants and seekers, including the long-term unemployed, improve self-confidence, motivation, resilience and productivity for effective job searches and networking — allowing participants to move away from being merely “applicants” toward being “candidates.” For more information, email [email protected] or visit thedccenter.org/careers.

GoGay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Activism at Woman’s National Democratic Club” at 6 p.m. at The Whittemore House. Guests can join other activists at the WNDC for letter and postcard writing to get out the vote this fall in Virginia and other critical state races. Postcards will be written to women in rural VA and to members of Congress on Home Rule 101 in partnership with the D.C. Democrats Statehood Committee. There will be free pizza, cash bar, a fun raffle and camaraderie. More details are available on Eventbrite.

Thursday, November 20

The DC Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. People will be informed on Wednesday at 5 p.m. if they are picked to receive a produce box. No proof of residency or income is required. For more information, email [email protected] or call 202-682-2245.

Virtual Yoga Class will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a free weekly class focusing on yoga, breathwork, and meditation. For more details, visit the DC Center for the LGBT Community’s website.