Quote of the day: David Hockney on technology

David Hockney 2026
“It’s not the tool that matters—it’s the eye. A good painting is still a good painting, whether it’s made with a brush or a stylus. It is about sharing experiences. Machines don’t have experiences.”
David Hockney, A Rabbit’s Foot

These were some of David Hockney’s last words, published recently in A Rabbit’s Foot magazine. Always streets ahead of the curve in using new technology, he was a real thinker, whose many books weren’t only visual feasts, but an education in how to look.

While he made pioneering work with Polaroid cameras, faxes and iPads, he didn’t seem all that impressed with A.I. “People are fascinated by machines—but machines don’t see. They calculate. An image made without a human looking isn’t very interesting to me.”

In the accompanying photo, Hockney wore this dazzling oversize check suit and I love the coordinating tie and glasses. He was (quite rightly) held up as a fashion icon and had only recently had six new suits made by his French tailor. Now that’s style dedication.

WORDS: Disneyrollergirl / Navaz Batliwalla
IMAGES: David Hockey/ A Rabbit’s Foot
NOTE: Most images are digitally enhanced. Some posts use affiliate links* and PR samples. Please read my privacy and cookies policy here.

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