Ian Falconer

Ian Falconer
Born(1959-08-25)August 25, 1959
Ridgefield, Connecticut, U.S.
DiedMarch 7, 2023(2023-03-07) (aged 63)
Norfolk, Connecticut, U.S.
Occupation(s)Illustrator, children's writer, costume designer

Ian Woodward Falconer (August 25, 1959 – March 7, 2023)[1] was an American author, illustrator, set designer, and costume designer. Falconer was a muse to pop artist David Hockney, with whom he collaborated on designing costumes for theatrical productions. Falconer created several magazine covers for The New Yorker and other publications. In 2001, he received a Caldecott Honor for writing and illustrating the Olivia children's book series.[2]

Early life and education

Ian Woodward Falconer was born on August 25, 1959, in Ridgefield, Connecticut, to parents Alexandra and Bruce Falconer.[3] His mother co-owned a gourmet food store, taught art, and operated a sailing school, while his father worked as an architect.[3]

Falconer graduated from The Cambridge School of Weston and studied art history at New York University before transferring to the Parsons School of Design.[3]

When Falconer was 19, he met artist David Hockney at the New York apartment of curator Henry Geldzahler.[4] After they developed a relationship, Falconer transferred to the Otis Art Institute when Hockney returned to Los Angeles.[4] Falconer, however, quit college because he felt that it only taught him "cottage crafts," declaring that "he needed no other teacher than David Hockney."[4]

Career

Theater designs

Falconer was active in the world of theater design. In 1987, he assisted Hockney with the costume designs for the Los Angeles Opera's production of Richard Wagner's Tristan Und Isolde; in 1992 he assisted Hockney with the Chicago Lyric Opera's production of Puccini's Turandot.[5] In 1992, Falconer designed the costumes and Hockney designed the sets for The Royal Opera's production of Richard Strauss' Die Frau ohne Schatten at Covent Garden.[6]

In 1996, Falconer designed the set for The Atlantic Theater's production of The Santaland Diaries, written by David Sedaris. The theater critic for The New York Times, Ben Brantley, wrote "The cartoon cutout set by Ian Falconer looks totally chic in its monochromatic grayness."[7]

In 1999, Falconer designed scenery and costumes for the Boston Ballet's production of Igor Stravinsky's The Firebird, choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon. In the same year, he designed the sets for Scènes de Ballet. In 2001 he designed the sets and costumes for Felix Mendelssohn's Variations sérieuses. Wheeldon choreographed for both productions of the New York City Ballet.[8] In 2002, Falconer designed the sets and costumes for Stravinsky's Jeu de Cartes, choreographed for the New York City Ballet by Peter Martins.

In 2008, Falconer designed the sets and oversaw the installation for the operetta Veronique at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. Francis Carlin, a critic, noted, "Ian Falconer's clever play-off between background film and lavish sets climaxes in a stunning society ball."[9] Beginning with the 2015 season, the Pacific Northwest Ballet's The Nutcracker features costumes and sets designed by Falconer.[3]

Illustration and writing career

In 1996, Françoise Mouly, art editor of The New Yorker, hired Falconer to create illustrations for the magazine.[10] Falconer made 30 covers for The New Yorker.[10]

His covers for The New Yorker caught the eye of Simon & Schuster children's book editor Anne Schwartz, who approached Falconer about the possibility of illustrating a children's book by another author.[11] Falconer shared the manuscript for Olivia, a book about a young pig named Olivia, inspired by his niece.[3] After he took Schwartz's suggestion to cut down the manuscript, the book was published in 2000.[11] The book was an instant success. It received the Caldecott Honor, sold over 10 million copies, and remained on the New York Times bestseller list for more than a year.[12] The final book of his sequels, Olivia the Spy, was published in 2017.[13]

In 2022, Falconer published a new children's book titled Two Dogs about a pair of dachshunds named Perry and Augie, who were inspired by his nephews.[14][15]

Personal life

In the late 1970s, Falconer lived with his friend, photographer Patrick McMullan in New York.[16]

Falconer was gay.[17][18] He dated designer and filmmaker Tom Ford, whom he had met in 1979 while attending New York University.[19][16][20] They remained good friends after their breakup, and Ford used Falconer's surname for the title character in his 2009 film A Single Man (based on the Christopher Isherwood novel, in which the title character has no surname).[21][22][23]

Falconer had a relationship with artist David Hockney, who was his lover and mentor.[4] After moving out of Hockney's Los Angeles home, he lived with his boyfriend Butch Kirby, who was an actor known as "Butchie," and their dachshund Heinz.[24]

Death

In later life, Falconer lived in Rowayton, Connecticut, a village within the city of Norwalk. He died from kidney failure in Norwalk on March 7, 2023, at the age of 63.[3][10] He was survived by his mother, Alexandra Austin, and two sisters, Tonia Falconer Barringer and Tory Falconer Crane.[3]

Written works

  • Olivia (New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2000)
  • Olivia Saves the Circus (New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2001)
  • Olivia's Opposites (New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2002)
  • Olivia Counts (New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2002)
  • Olivia...and the Missing Toy (New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2003)
  • Teatro Olivia (New York: Rizzoli Universe Promotional Books, 2004)
  • Olivia Forms a Band (New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2006)
  • Dream Big: Starring Olivia (New York: Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2006)
  • Olivia Helps with Christmas (New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2007)
  • Olivia Goes to Venice (New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2010)
  • Olivia and the Fairy Princesses (New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2012)
  • Olivia's ABC (New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2014)
  • Olivia the Spy (New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2017)
  • Two Dogs (New York: HarperCollins/Michael di Capua Books, 2022)

Awards

References

  1. ^ Library of Congress Authorities cites for full name and date of birth Cataloging in Publication data provided in 2000 [1]. Retrieved 2015-09-28.
  2. ^ Brown, Jennifer M. (December 18, 2000). "Flying Starts: Ian Falconer". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved October 22, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Genzlinger, Neil (March 8, 2023). "Ian Falconer, Creator of Olivia, the Energetic Piglet, Dies at 63". The New York Times. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d Webb, Peter (1989). Portrait of David Hockney. New York: Dutton. pp. 204–105. ISBN 978-0-525-24826-2.
  5. ^ Edward Rothstein, "For a new 'Turandot,' Sets by Hockney," The New York Times, January 4, 1992.
  6. ^ John Rockwell, "The Talk of London," The New York Times, November 30, 1992.
  7. ^ Ben Brantley, "Reluctant Elf Adrift in Macy's Yule," The New York Times, November 8, 1996.
  8. ^ John Leland, "At Home with Ian Falconer," The New York Times, December 6, 2001.
  9. ^ Francis Carlin, "Véronique, Châtelet, Paris," Financial Times, January 24, 2008.
  10. ^ a b c Mouly, Françoise (March 7, 2023). "Remembering Ian Falconer, the New Yorker Artist and Author of the "Olivia" Books". The New Yorker. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
  11. ^ a b Shaer, Matthew (December 22, 2023). "Ian Falconer, Creator of 'Olivia', Surprised Even Himself". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
  12. ^ "Author Ian Falconer dies; wrote beloved 'Olivia' series for children". Pasadena Star News. March 15, 2023. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  13. ^ Corbett, Sue. "Cover Reveal: Olivia Spies a New Book in 2017". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  14. ^ Chang, Ailsa (June 28, 2022). "In Ian Falconer's new book, 'Two Dogs' cause mischief after being left home alone". NPR. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  15. ^ Krauss, Jennifer (June 24, 2022). "Party Animals? (Published 2022)". Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  16. ^ a b Greenwood, Douglas (September 28, 2023). "Poignant photographs of love & friendship in pre-AIDS New York". Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  17. ^ "'StageStruck' Exhibit Featuring Gay and Lesbian Broadway Design Talent Begins Nov. 14" by Adam Hetrick, Playbill Magazine, November 14, 2007, http://www.playbill.com/article/stagestruck-exhibit-featuring-gay-and-lesbian-broadway-design-talent-begins-nov-14-com-145399
  18. ^ "He's a pig success: Illustrator Ian Falconer dazzles children with his best-selling books starring Olivia the pig. - Free Online Library". www.thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  19. ^ Welch, Will (November 9, 2023). "Death, Sex and Money: The Tom Ford Exit Interview". GQ. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  20. ^ "Tom Ford, The Marquis de Sex". GQ. November 1, 2004. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  21. ^ Blasberg, Derek (August 27, 2020). "#TBT: THE TRUTH ABOUT TOM FORD". V Magazine. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  22. ^ "Tom Ford: Immaculate Conception". www.telegraph.co.uk. January 18, 2010. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  23. ^ "Filmmaker Magazine | Winter 2010: A Single Man - Interview with Director Tom Ford". filmmakermagazine.com. December 7, 2012. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  24. ^ Sykes, Christopher Simon (November 11, 2014). David Hockney: The Biography, 1975-2012. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. p. 232. ISBN 978-0-385-53955-5.
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