Grandfather and grandson art dealer duo curate exhibition celebrating David Hockney’s early work

An exhibition celebrating the early work of David Hockney, which explores the artist's sexuality and early love interests, has been curated by a grandfather and grandson duo who are passing art dealership down through the generations.

Louis Kasmin, the grandson of distinguished art dealer John Kasmin – Hockney’s first dealer who represented the artist from 1963 until the early 1990s – has curated the first in-depth exploration of the early period of Hockney’s career when he experimented with aesthetics at the Royal College of Art in 1959 to 1962 and the period immediately after.

In the Mood for Love: Hockney in London shows 15 paintings and related works on paper, many of which have not been shown together since the Sixties, explore Hockney’s sexuality and love interests at the time – making the result a far cry from the pop artwork that made him famous, such as The Splash (1966) and A Bigger Splash (1967).

Kasmin, 90, also known as Kas, has assisted his grandson with the curation of the exhibition due to his proximity to Hockney, who he knew as a fresh-faced graduate in the early Sixties - a period when the artist was heavily influenced by the works of Pablo Picasso and Jackson Pollock.

One work on display is The Cha Cha that was Danced in the Early Hours of 24th March 1961 (1961), which features Hockney’s first crush, Peter Crutch, while Life Painting for Myself (1962) from Ferens Art Gallery portrays his close friend and lover, Mo McDermott.

Another exhibited work is Two Friends [in a Cul de Sac] (1963), an abstract oil on canvas depicting two figures in a fetal position, which represents Hockney’s commitment to exploring his sexuality at a time when homosexuality was illegal in Britain (it wasn’t partially decriminalised until 1967).

Kasmin tells The Independent that understanding Hockney’s work from this period tells the story of a “man who was thinking about who he was, and what you could say and do in art. He was interested in dealing with his own life, feelings and love”.

Louis said it has been an education to work alongside his grandfather, who has a razor-sharp memory and recorded much of his work during that period.

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“It’s been very enjoyable to work alongside Kas who knows these paintings better than most people,” Louis said of working with his grandfather. “David doesn't remember all of the works necessarily, and we've asked him to expand on certain motifs that we found, and he hasn't necessarily had the answer, whereas Kas fortunately usually does have a response to most questions.”

The show also includes We Two Boys Together Clinging (1961), which is inspired by a work by the 19th-century poet Walt Whitman and references a newspaper clipping detailing a climbing accident, which stated: “Two Boys Cling to Cliff All Night”.

Others include The First Love Painting (1960), alongside Love Painting – Shame (1960) and Composition (Thrust) from 1962, which is a heavily abstracted and pigmented painting with the word “thrust” written across it. Works from this period were sold for less than £20 during the period – but would now fetch between £200,000 for a small work on paper for £5m for bigger works.

Reflecting on his time representing Hockney and giving him his first solo exhibition in 1963, Kasmin said that he didn’t struggle to find people interested in the artist’s work when he was unknown.

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“Most people don't know what David was doing when I met him,” said Kasmin. “He was a student and had very little money and I was allowed to sell some of the works for him. David was always interesting – there was never a shortage of people who might want to buy one, particularly at the advantageous prices.”

“The thing with the early works is that, from a commercial point of view, it’s not what people associate with David Hockney image-wise. It's kind of from 1965 onwards, it's Los Angeles. It's swimming pools. It’s figures,” continued Louis, as Kasmin added: “I sometimes refer to him as the master of the swimming pool.”

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“Seeing the works and understanding when Kas bought them and when they were painted and the context around them, you do realise how exciting it must have been and how David is painting in such a different way. At the time, there was Jackson Pollock, who was very bold at the time, Alan Davie, who was a big influence on David, and you know, everyone is looking at Picasso. But David makes this whole different language, which is such a wonderful language and one that Kas instantly supported.”

The pair agree it has been exciting to work together, but it’s very different from how they usually spend quality time – eating dinner and watching 1950s movies together.

“I got rid of the mantle a hell of a long time ago,” said Kasmin. “It's just very nice having my grandson in the same business. I’ve always had a connection with it – but it means I've got to keep in touch.”

“And we haven’t fallen out, so that’s even better,” laughed Louis.

In the Mood for Love: Hockney in London opens on 21 May and until 18 July 2025, at Hazlitt Holland-Hibbert