Ian Falconer

Ian Woodward Falconer (August 25, 1959 – March 7, 2023)

Early life and education Ian Woodward Falconer was born on August 25, 1959, in Ridgefield, Connecticut, to parents Alexandra and Bruce Falconer. His mother co-owned a gourmet food store, taught art, and operated a sailing school, while his father worked as an architect. After they developed a relationship, Falconer transferred to the Otis Art Institute when Hockney returned to Los Angeles in 1981. 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.

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."

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. 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 2007, Falconer's designs were included in the exhibition "StageStruck: The Magic of Theatre Design" presented by the Leslie/Lohman Gay Art Foundation Gallery in New York City.

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." Beginning with the 2015 season, the Pacific Northwest Ballet's The Nutcracker features costumes and sets designed by Falconer. The exhibition attracted prominent collectors, dealers, and curators, as well as figures such as Thomas Dolby and Billy Wilder. Hockney, who attended the opening, remarked, "He is my only student, so I don't like to talk too much about his work… He's quite deserving of this show." Falconer made 30 covers for The New Yorker. Falconer shared the manuscript for Olivia, a book about a young pig named Olivia, inspired by his niece. The final book of his sequels, Olivia the Spy, was published in 2017.

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.

Personal life In the late 1970s, Falconer lived with his friend, photographer Patrick McMullan, in New York.

Falconer dated fashion designer and filmmaker Tom Ford, whom he had met in 1979 while attending New York University. 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).

Falconer had a relationship with artist David Hockney, who was both his mentor and lover.

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.