Hockney's Pictures [Hardcover]

David Hockney (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 30, 2004

One of David Hockney's favourite and most frequent sayings is 'Love life!', and for nearly fifty years his art has been feted across the world because it is a celebration of what it is to be alive. All of his pictures - sometimes tender, as when he draws friends and family; sometimes playful, as in his paintings of lazy, carefree days in the pool; sometimes awe-inspiring, as with his images of the Grand Canyon - convey what it means to be in the world: to see it, to move in it, to love it. For Hockney, pictures are the perfect vehicles for communicating such feelings, and his life has been a constant exploration of how to make them in ever more vital ways. With over 320 illustrations, this is the first-ever definitive retrospective of the most popular serious artist in the world today, covering all media over almost fifty years. Presented thematically to show the evolution and diversity of Hockney's prolific paintings, drawings, watercolours, prints and photography, including new and unpublished works, it also features quotes from the artist himself that illuminate the passionate thinking behind the works produced.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'I have always believed that art should be a deep pleasure... There is always, everywhere, an enormous amount of suffering, but I believe that my duty as an artist is to overcome and alleviate the suffering of despair... New ways of seeing mean new ways of feeling... I do believe that painting can change the world' - David Hockney

About the Author

David Hockney is the most popular British artist in the world today, with a huge international reputation.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Thames & Hudson (November 30, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0500093148
• ISBN-13: 978-0500093146
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 8.9 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,157,245 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Full to the brim with images, January 17, 2008

By 

Benjamin (UK) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Hockney's Pictures (Hardcover)

With minimum text, the introduction takes just one page, and the introduction to each of its four sections barley half a page each, `Hockney's Pictures' is aptly titled. The introduction explains the aim of each section: `Problems of Depiction', `Life Stilled', `Portraits' and `Space and Light', and then allows the pictures to provide the answers along with the occasional brief and down to earth comment from Hockney himself alongside the relevant picture.

This is a carefully designed volume; the almost square format comfortably accommodates both landscape and portrait proportions, the images are presented imaginatively on the page with a varied layout which manages to avoid being confusing. Many of the images are full page with some presented as full page bleed and some occasionally crossing the gutter. Each picture is given its title and date; the additional details of size and medium are to be found in a separate list at the back of the book. The book describes itself as having "325 illustrations, 277 in colour"; however this is slightly unfair for as far as I can tell the 48 black and white images comprise pencil or charcoal drawings, etchings and the like which in themselves are monochrome.

This is what an art book should be, full to the brim with images which, along with occasional comment from the artist, are allowed to speak for themselves.