David Hockney – the innovative and prolific British artist who died on June 11 at his home in London aged 88 – arrived in Los Angeles in 1964. Soon he would be celebrating its sun-drenched life and landscapes in colourful, wildly popular paintings.

Calling himself “an English Los Angeleno”, the painter immortalised the American city’s sparkling swimming pools, palm trees and beautiful young men.

“Los Angeles will always be thought of by many people worldwide through the images that David created,” says Stephanie Barron, senior curator and head of the modern art department at Los Angeles County Museum of Art (Lacma), which holds more than 150 works by Hockney in its permanent collection. “But for me one of David’s greatest gifts was his ability to look at the world with wonder and joy in whatever medium he decided to work in.

“He was fearless in his embrace of technology, and I think that enormous curiosity ran throughout his career, and continued to the end. He was involved in looking at art history and the future simultaneously.”

Barron, who knew Hockney for 50 years, says Lacma staged more exhibitions of the Briton’s work during that time than any other artist.

“David considered Lacma and the Tate his two museums,” she says.