Born in Bradford, West Yorkshire, Hockney has spent over seven decades creating images. Whether pencil drawings, oil paintings, handmade prints, photographs, stage sets, etchings, digital images with computers, fax machines, office copiers and most recently, iPhone and iPad images, each medium pin points a time in his career.
Hockney's limited edition signed prints can sell for six-figure sums. Prints such as The Yosemite Suite, 2010. Untitled no. 1, and The Arrival of Spring in Woldgate, East Yorkshire in 2011 - 30 May, 2011, sold at auction in the UK in autumn 2022 for £126,000 and £340,000, respectively.
Pool images are also in high demand and have an international attraction, especially from US and Far East investors. When living in LA, California, images of pools with titles such as Pool Made with Paper and Blue Ink for the book Paper Pools are always popular. These lithographs are now more than 40 years old, so condition is always critical regarding value. Consult an expert or a credible gallery specialising in Hockney's work if you are unsure and ask for a condition report.
More recently, Hockney has worked with German book and fine art publisher Taschen, releasing a range of iPhone and iPad works across the years. A Bigger Book. Art Edition was released in 2016 and comprised four separate images, each created by Hockney on his iPad and then 8 colour inkjet digitally printed on cotton-fibre archival paper. The four prints were titled Untitled 329, Untitled 346, Untitled 468 and Untitled 516. Each artwork was hand signed and numbered from an edition of 250. On release, they retailed with the A Bigger Book at £4,500, and they now sell for substantially more with work recently selling in the region of £50,000+. A complete set of all four iPad prints from A Bigger Book sold at auction in London at Phillips for £226,800 in autumn 2022.
The next release was titled My Window and was published in February 2020. Similarly to A Bigger Book, a choice of four different Art Edition prints came accompanied by the My Window book. Each print was created by Hockney using both an iPhone and iPad and published as hand-signed, dated and numbered prints which were 8 colour inkjet digitally printed on cotton-fibre archival paper. The collection of four prints were created by Hockney between 2009 and 2011 and titled; iPhone drawing No. 535, 28th June 2009, iPad drawing No. 281, 23rd July 2010, iPad drawing No. 610, 23rd December 2010 and iPad drawing No. 778, 17th April 2011. They were created at his home in Bridlington, East Yorkshire, England, from his bedroom window by majestically capturing a moment in time as the seasons passed.
On release, these prints retailed at £8,000. Prices have risen sharply since their first released in 2020, with an impressive record price of £69,000 achieved for iPad drawing No. 778 in an auction in autumn 2022.
David Hockney signing one of the 10,000 copies of his SUMO
Copyright: Photo: Jean-Pierre Gonçalves de Lima
David Hockney signing one of the 10,000 copies of his SUMO
Copyright: Photo: Jean-Pierre Gonçalves de Lima
Most recently, in the COVID pandemic of 2020, Hockney was living in Normandy, France. As lockdown persisted, he, as always, was hard at work creating many images, which included a selection of 220 (plus four bonus ones) for a Collector’s Edition book titled David Hockney. 220 for 2020. This book focused on the changing seasons during the lockdown in his picturesque Normandy farmhouse and spread the message of hope, ”Remember they cant cancel spring,” said Hockney.
In addition to the Collector’s Edition book, four Art Editions were released. These included four images from his sketchbook, each titled as follows; Spilt Ink with Tests, Self Portrait in My Living Room, Two Chairs and Rain on Window, and My Second Drawing of Beuvron-en-Auge.
The four images, landscape in format, were created as a signed, dated and numbered limited edition of 100. Each four images were printed as an 11-colour inkjet on cotton-fibre archival paper.
Retailing at £22,000 when launched and instantly selling out across the series, none of these artworks has appeared at auction with publicly published prices, although we have record that they have changed hands within the secondary market for well over £30,000. When pieces eventually surface in auction houses worldwide, it will be interesting to see what they achieve.
To answer the question, 'Are David Hockney's iPad paintings a good investment?' we have to say yes!
At the Artmarket Gallery, we’re experts in David Hockney’s artworks. With original drawings, prints, posters, books and iPad art, our collection covers the range of David Hockney’s incomparable career. If you would like any advice on buying or selling artwork by David Hockney, get in touch with our knowledgeable, friendly team today.