‘Suggestive toothpaste tubes shooting into mouths’: David Hockney’s winking celebration of queer life

Six decades after David Hockney painted "A Bigger Splash," reproductions of the artwork have become a prevalent visual motif in gay domestic life, appearing on posters, prints, and cushion covers. Hockney, an openly gay artist who depicted same-sex desire in his work prior to the partial decriminalization of male homosexuality in England and Wales, challenged homophobia within the art world and broader society. He achieved this not through overtly sexualized imagery, as seen in the work of photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, nor through activist themes like painter Keith Haring, but by redefining perceptions of beauty, intimacy, and desire. Hockney's 2017 Tate Britain retrospective, which drew significant attention, highlighted his enduring influence. The painting "A Bigger Splash" itself captures a specific moment of action—a person jumping into a swimming pool—contrasted with the stillness of the surrounding environment, a composition that has resonated deeply within queer households.