On Friday 3 February, the Sun masthead will be replaced at the top of the paper with Hockney’s print. The edition will also feature an in-depth interview with Hockney, his first ever with The Sun, and the artist’s redesign will also be promoted on billboards around London.
The Yorkshire-born “working-class genius” decided to paint for The Sun because he considers it one of the great icons of Britain, say the publishers.
Speaking to the paper, life-long Sun reader David Hockney said: “I was delighted to be asked. Once I thought about the idea it didn’t take me long. The sun and The Sun. I love it.”
Although he celebrates his 80th birthday this summer, Hockney has always been at the forefront of new technology. He was one the first people in Britain to have an iPad and he created his Sun masthead with his thumb on his tablet using a painting app.
Tony Gallagher, Editor-in-Chief of The Sun said: “Nothing demonstrates the enduring position of The Sun in British culture like having Britain’s most-loved living artist redesign our logo. We’re immensely proud that we can offer Sun readers their own David Hockney, and incredibly grateful that he chose our newspaper.”
The redesigned Sun logo coincides with the opening of Hockney’s biggest-ever exhibition at Tate Britain (9 Feb).
Visitors will see more than 250 artworks, from his early ‘pop art’ pictures of young men and Hollywood housewives to paintings in ultra-bright colours he did last year of his garden in Los Angeles.
The exhibition will also his famous photo and video collages plus paintings he created on the iPhone and tablet – like The Sun redesign – including The Supper, made up of four iPad pictures.
Hockney’s last big show, in 2012, was seen by a 1.2million people.
