Derek Boshier: A talent recognised by David Bowie, David Hockney and The Clash

The talent and influence of Derek Boshier was recognised by other high-profile cultural figures including David Bowie , David Hockney and The Clash.

Despite being known as a pioneering member of the British pop art movement, Boshier saw himself more as a “populist artist” – using his working class background to inspire socio-political commentary in his art.

After making waves on the UK pop art scene throughout the 1970s and ’80s, he moved to the US, where he lived for more than 40 years until his death aged 87.

Born on June 6 1937 in Portsmouth, he spent his teenage years in Dorset and attended grammar school after passing his 11 plus exams, much to his teachers’ surprise.

After initially considering a career as a butcher, he attended art school in Yeovil , which, he said, changed his life.

He later applied for London’s prestigious Royal College of Art and was accepted alongside other famous contemporary faces such as Allen Jones, Peter Phillips and David Hockney.

Boshier was established as one of the forerunners of the pop art scene following his appearance in a 1962 documentary, filmed while he was still at the Royal College, called Pop Goes The Easel – alongside others such as Peter Blake and Pauline Boty.

That same year, he took part in the Young Contemporaries exhibition, which pushed the art form into the public eye.

Despite his roots in the pop art world, Boshier did not class himself as a pop artist.

“That was a period of my work, although that has affected all my work for the last 60 years. I’m a populist artist,” he told the PA news agency in an 2022 interview before his death.

During the early 1970s, Boshier taught at the Central School of Art and Design, where one of his pupils was John Mellor, later known as Joe Strummer, of The Clash.

This led to Boshier designing The Clash’s second songbook, which included a collection of drawings and paintings released in conjunction with their famous 1978 album, Give ‘Em Enough Rope.

A major breakthrough came in 1979 with his groundbreaking Lives, an exhibition of artists whose work is based on other people’s lives.

The show embraced a wide spectrum of artistic activity ranging from cartoonists and graphic designers to video and performance artists, with high-profile names including R B Kitaj, Bruce McLean and Hockney.

It was this exhibition that caught the attention of Bowie, who asked famous portrait photographer Brian Duffy to introduce them – beginning a friendship which would last the next 37 years.

Boshier designed cover art for Bowie’s seminal albums Lodger and Let’s Dance, also designing the inner gatefold for the latter.

“I found him so interesting and we had a lot of things in common too, British, working class, et cetera,” Boshier told PA.

The pair were so close that, shortly before his death in January 2016, Bowie wrote a personal letter to Boshier, praising his talents.

“Your work cascades down the generations,” the note said.

In 1980, Boshier moved to Houston, Texas, at a time when the city was receiving national and international attention for its contemporary art scene.

Two years later, Bowie asked Boshier to create the set design for the 1983 Serious Moonlight Tour.

In his later years, Boshier moved to Los Angeles, California – continuing to tackle serious socio-political themes including gun control and police brutality.

“I’d like to think I contributed something to both the art world and the real world, “he told PA.

“I always have been and always am conscious of ensuring that every work that I make is not just for the art world but is actually accessible.

“The point about (my work) is that it’s accessible, you don’t need a text to read to understand it.

“As an artist you have to make choices about what kind of art you make.

“I’m not an artist that leans towards technology in my work because I always like the feeling of humanity, that’s why (much of it) is hand-drawn… the history of my doing this work is apparent.”

Boshier was also the recipient of several accolades, including an Honorary Fellowship from the Royal College of Art in 2016, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and a National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) award.

In his later years he exhibited at Gazelli Art House with a 2021 display that featured large-scale works inspired by the Korean TV show King of Mask Singers and the myth of Icarus, called Icarus and K-Pop, and at the same gallery held the Reinventor exhibition.

He also had artworks at Image in Revolt at Wolverhampton Art Gallery, curated by Helen Little.