David Hockney Sweatshirt

'80s Walker Sweatshirt

While digging through our archives, we stumbled across several photos of artists wearing a particularly intriguing item of clothing. This Walker-produced sweatshirt first appeared in 1983 and features a design that forgoes calculated branding in favor of an endearing, confident simplicity. The words "Walker Art Center" are plainly typed out in Garamond, centered on the shirt, and left at that.

The sweatshirt was given to visiting artists as a gift, as seen in this photo of David Hockney from 1983. The artist is pictured here installing his exhibition Hockney Paints the Stage. The show included 3D models of his set designs for operas and ballets which he then painted in the Walker galleries. As a fashion tastemaker, Hockney exudes a British elegance and has an excellent eye for color. Note what appears to be a hand-painted cap paired with loose-fitting khakis and multicolored Chucks.