Derek Boshier, an influential figure in British Pop Art, has died in Los Angeles aged 87. Born in Portsmouth, England in 1937, Boshier developed into one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary art, bold enough to give his often acidly trenchant commentary about politics, culture, and society.
“I’m so sad to learn of the death of Derek Boshier. He was an incredible artist and friend who never ceased to develop his practice from that phenomenal burst onto the pop scene of the early 1960s alongside his great friend David Hockney. I am so very proud of the many exhibitions we have staged since the early 1970s. RIP” – Matthew Flowers
Working across multiple mediums—painting, photography, sculpture, film, and installation—he kept a critical eye on current events with an undercurrent of subversive humour.
Boshier attended Yeovil School of Art in Somerset and the prestigious Royal College of Art in London, studying with contemporaries like David Hockney, Peter Blake, and Pauline Boty. During these formative years, he played with the themes of Americanisation, space exploration, and consumer culture—all concerns that would be central to his work throughout his career. A tireless experimenter, Boshier’s art ran the gamut from bold political statements to playful confrontations with pop culture.
During the 1960s, Boshier was well-placed within British Pop Art. Along with Peter Blake and Peter Phillips, he featured in the BBC’s groundbreaking ‘Pop Goes the Easel’, presented by Ken Russell. But Boshier would never be bound by the genre’s prescriptive media. He quickly moved out of the expected parameters of Pop into film, photography, and neon- and he accepted none of the assumptions about what art should be.
Among the largest names of the time, Boshier’s work resonated with David Bowie and The Clash. His designs for Bowie’s Lodger album and Let’s Dance album covers, along with his contributions to The Clash’s second songbook, made him one of the most versatile and influential artists around.
Throughout his life, Boshier took every opportunity to teach and share with younger generations. Since relocating to the U.S. in the 1980s, he has been one of the most popular professors, first at the University of Houston and then later at the California Institute of the Arts, sharing his love of art and political activism with his students.
From early critiques of consumerism and American power to later gun control and police brutality, Boshier’s art always had the pulse on the most urgent social issues. He is gone, leaving an enormous legacy: provocative and challenging art that has inspired many. He will be remembered not only as one of the founders of pop art but also as an artist who never stopped growing and was always ready to respond to what was happening around him.
Derek Boshier is survived by a large oeuvre that continues to influence and raise questions among those who come into contact with it, as well as scores of artists and students who benefitted from his boundless creativity and dedication to the pursuit of art.
Top Photo: Courtesy Flowers Gallery