Mystery death of assistant to Bradford-born artist David Hockney (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Mystery death of assistant to Bradford-born artist David Hockney

7:00am Tuesday 19th March 2013 in News

A studio assistant to the artist David Hockney has died in hospital after being taken from the Bradford-born painter’s East Yorkshire home in a serious condition, sources said.

Dominic Elliott, 23, had sat for the artist on more than one occasion at his studio in Bridlington.

He died at Scarborough General Hospital on Sunday morning and police are now investigating the events surrounding his death.

A post-mortem examination to establish the exact cause was due to take place today. Humberside Police said that officers had been contacted after the man had been taken to the hospital by a friend in a serious condition.

A spokesman for the Force said: “The 23-year-old man was sadly pronounced dead at hospital and the police notified.

“The circumstances of the man’s death are not clear and officers are currently undertaking inquiries to establish events leading to his death.

“There were no signs of violence and a post-mortem examination is due to take place which is hoped may provide further information.”

Mr Hockney, 75, is one of the most famous British artists of his generation and was celebrated at the Royal Academy of Arts last year with an exhibition of his large scale landscapes, called A Bigger Picture.

The artist is famous for artworks such as A Bigger Splash, a vivid depiction of a Los Angeles swimming pool, and the portrait Mr And Mrs Clark And Percy. In recent years he has been exploring the possibilities of using an iPad for his artworks.

Tributes have been paid to Mr Elliott by members of the rugby club where he played in the seaside town.

Bridlington Rugby Club chairman Gordon Morrice said: “Dominic was a valued member of our club, a good player with great potential.

“With his size and ability he could easily have established himself as a first team regular.

“He was a popular lad and had so many friends at the club.”

The club said Mr Elliott, who only took up rugby a couple of years ago, was a second row forward who mainly played for the Mariners – the club’s second team. No-one was available to speak at Hockney’s home in Bridlington yesterday morning.

The large, detached, red-brick house is in a residential area near the seafront of the coastal town, with views of the beach and sea.

The blinds were drawn in the large bay windows and there was no answer at the door, although people had been seen entering the house earlier and two cars were parked in the driveway.