Derek Boshier – the British pop art pioneer known for his collaborations with the likes of David Bowie and The Clash – has died at the age of 87.
The Portsmouth-born artist was known for his work within the British pop art world and took pride and inspiration from his working-class roots. His death was confirmed by his publicist, Daniel Bee, today (September 6) who told PA Media (via The Guardian) that the artist passed away peacefully in his home in Los Angeles.
“Derek Boshier undoubtably helped create and define the pop art movement in London and the USA,” Bee said. “His observations and comment around popular culture spanning the last 60 years is clear to be seen in the world’s greatest museums and galleries. He will be greatly missed.”
Boshier attended the Royal College of Art (RCA) in London from 1959 to 1962 and worked alongside the likes of other influential artists such as Allen Jones, Peter Phillips and David Hockney.
Upon finishing his studies, he went on to teach at the Central School of Art and Design, where one of his students was The Clash frontman Joe Strummer. Boshier would go on to design the band’s second songbook which featured a collection of the artist’s drawings and paintings.
In 1979, Boshier had a successful art exhibition titled ‘Lives’ in which he “chose a wide range of work by artists whose subject matter explored the lives of other people. The exhibition embraced a wide spectrum of artistic activity, ranging from cartoonists and graphic designers, to video and performance artists. Some high profile names included Hockney, R B Kitaj, and Bruce McLean,” (as per Serpentine Galleries).
The exhibit caught the attention of Bowie who requested an introduction with Boshier. From there, the two would go on to have a friendship lasting over three decades that saw Boshier contribute to the design of Bowie’s thirteenth studio album ‘Lodger’ that same year.
According to the artist’s publicist, Boshier was one of the recipients of a handwritten note by the icon prior to his death in 2016. The note saw the ‘Let’s Dance’ singer praise Boshier for his art book at the time, with Bowie telling Boshier that his work “cascades down the generations”.
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