Abi Shapiro, who is curating the upcoming David Hockney show at Wakefield Art Gallery, told The Observer how they 'were surprised by the confidence with which he writes'As one of the most influential British artists of the 20th century, David Hockney has the art world at his feet. But 82-year-old’s rise to the top appears to have had something of a shaky start – thanks to the indifference of a snooty curator. In 1960, when Hockney was an unknown 23-year-old Royal College of Art student, he invited Helen Kapp, curator of the Wakefield Art Gallery, to view a show he was putting on in Skipton, North Yorkshire. Hockney attended a talk by Davie at the Wakefield Gallery in 1958 – an encounter that transformed his artistic vision. He claimed it would ‘shine a light on the ambitious curatorial foresight of Wakefield Art Gallery’, adding: ‘The gallery helped boost Davie’s career by organising a pivotal show that played a part in motivating a young David Hockney to develop his artistic voice.’

Source: Daily Mail October 13, 2019 21:11 UTC