Derek Boshier, pioneer of British Pop Art, dies at 87

Derek Boshier, the seminal English artist and leading figure of the British Pop Art scene, has died. He was known for his frequent collaborations with David Bowie, designing two of his album covers.

- MIKE BEDIGAN, TOM MURRAY

Boshier’s publicist Daniel Bee confirmed to The Independent that the artist died peacefully in Los Angeles on 5 September at the age of 87. Mr Bee said: “Derek Boshier undoubtedly helped create and define the Pop Art movement in London and the USA. His observations and commentary around popular culture spanning the last 60 years is clear to be seen in the world’s greatest museums and galleries. He will be greatly missed.”

Born on 6 June 1937 in Portsmouth, Boshier attended the Royal College of Art (RCA) in London from 1959 to 1962, studying alongside luminaries such as David Hockney and RB Kitaj. It was here that he created his iconic painting England’s Glory (1961), which depicts an American flag spreading like an oil spill over a matchbox that bears the painting’s eponymous phrase. In it, Horatio Nelson’s famous quote from the Battle of Trafalgar, “England expects that every man will do his duty,” competes with Kellogg’s Yogi Bear for space, symbolising the unrelenting spread of American consumerism in Britain – a theme that would go on to define his work.