Great British artist David Hockney’s work ‘DH at the Beach’ – which was faxed by the artist from California to a Bradford childhood friend in the 1980s – is to be auctioned to raise funds for a charity in York, UK. The work was sent by Hockney from his Malibu beach home to Michael Powell on in 1988; and is now set to be auctioned along with some 30 other pieces of art at a charity auction at York St John University on October 11, to raise funds for the Wilberforce Trust, which supports people with sight loss in York.
Mr Powell’s step-daughter Marylin Bentham was operations manager at the Trust. Powell decided to donate the fax when he heard about the auction, which mainly features pieces either by artists with sight loss or other disabilities or simply local artists. Mr Powell, who was an old school friend of the artist, believes the faxed artwork to be unique and one of a series of eight faxes. The other faxed Hockney works were apparently in the possession of his brother and other members of the Bradford family.
The fax from Hockney apparently shows the date and time of the transfer, it has been reported.
The artist has always embraced cutting-edge technology in the production of his art. Including a series of works with Xerox machines in 1986, and a solo exhibition of large-scale paintings that the artist produced on an iPad at the Royal Academy in 2012.
Hockney, sent ‘art’ faxes to many friends in the late 1980s and early 90s. But the artist himself has said the faxes are worthless. Yet, that not withstanding, past originals have sold for considerable sums at auction.