Hockney A Portrait In Nails

It takes a man with vision and an artist with passion to create a truly great public sculpture.

Dave West was the man with the vision — to transform Little Germany in Bradford into a cultural hub, a vibrant place to live and work. His passion for the area, combined with an introduction to Marcus Levine, sparked a 15-month journey that would result in a unique and powerful public artwork.

From their very first meeting, Dave and Marcus formed a strong bond — their shared belief that they could bring this ambitious project to life was the foundation of their collaboration and their friendship.

Marcus began work on a portrait of David Hockney, aiming to complete it in time for Hockney’s 80th birthday in July 2017.

Born and raised in Bradford, David Hockney would go on to become one of the truly great living artists of the 21st century — a global icon whose groundbreaking work has spanned painting, photography, printmaking, and digital art. Honouring him in his hometown felt both fitting and deeply personal.

Meanwhile, Dave began raising the funds to support the project. Such was the trust and connection between them that Marcus started the work even before Dave had secured his first sponsor.

After 13 months of intense effort, eleven panels were completed and the sculpture was installed — the unveiling was featured on the BBC’s The One Show, with Andy Kershaw’s moving coverage resonating with viewers across the UK.

The twelfth and final panel was installed two months later, completing a 15-month period of Marcus’ artistic life. He later reflected that it would be nearly impossible to repeat such a project — not only because of the time required, but also the extraordinary motivation it demanded.

The portrait, composed of twelve 1.2m² panels, is a tribute to Hockney’s Polaroid period — a time when Hockney would take multiple photographs of his subject and arrange them into a single image montage, creating a fragmented yet cohesive portrait.

The sculpture is made entirely of nails — painted in primary colours: cyan, magenta and yellow. The idea is that when viewed from a distance, the individual colours visually blend to form a full spectrum, echoing the principles of pointillism in a sculptural format. It is the only full-colour nail sculpture in the world, measuring an impressive 4.8 metres by 3.6 metres, and was created using 250 kilograms of stainless steel nails.

After seven years of the worst weather Bradford could throw at the sculpture, it was time for some TLC. The work was de-installed so that Marcus could work his magic and restore the sculpture to its former glory. Some have even said that, thanks to Marcus repainting every nail and body with fresh colour, the sculpture now appears more vibrant than ever.

After three months of restoration — and a total commitment of 18 months — the sculpture has found its second home in Bradford’s stunning new development, the Darley Street Market. Dominating the entire wall of the top-floor food hall, Marcus hopes it will continue to lift people’s spirits and spark debate about the role and necessity of public art in our shared spaces.

This sculpture stands as a testament not only to Hockney, but to the enduring power of vision, passion, and creative collaboration.