Died: January 22, 2021.
IT was 1993, and considerable interest was stirring in the world of Scottish art: the world-renowned David Hockney would, for the first time, be exhibiting his paintings in this country. The venue was the William Hardie Gallery at 141 West Regent Street, Glasgow.
In 1992 Hardie had begun accompanying his friend John Cox, Scottish Opera’s artistic director, to Los Angeles to meet Hockney, Cox having engaged the artist to design the sets and costumes for a Covent Garden production of Richard Strauss’s Die Frau Ohne Schatten.
Hardie and Hockney got to know each other well and the result was that Hockney agreed to let the gallery exhibit 22 of his latest paintings, which he had begun after finishing his set designs.