Howard Hodgkin Large Paintings [Hardcover]

Robert Rosenblum (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 26, 2006

Howard Hodgkin is widely regarded as one of the most significant painters - and certainly the greatest colourist - at work in Britain today. His method of painting means that he takes several years to complete a work and, as a result, his exhibitions are eagerly awaited. Hodgkin's paintings are primarily grounded in a remembered experience - a meeting with friends, a view across a landscape, the moment after a meal. From this starting point Hodgkin embarks on his painting and, working over a long period, produces layered, richly coloured, sweeping compositions, which extend into the picture frame. The finished paintings hover brilliantly between representation and abstraction and have been described as 'profound painterly equivalents for memory itself'. Contents: Foreword - Timothy Clifford, Director-General, National Galleries of Scotland Introduction - Richard Calvocoressi On Howard Hodgkin - Robert Rosenblum Panel Discussions: Howard Hodgkin's Large Paintings - Richard Kendall Catalogue C

Product Details

• Hardcover: 72 pages
• Publisher: National Galleries Of Scotland (July 26, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1903278333
• ISBN-13: 978-1903278338
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 9.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,305,813 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Exploring the Romantic Modernism of Paintings by Howard Hodgkin, April 6, 2007

By 

Steven Dornbusch "art's reader" (Los Angeles, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Howard Hodgkin Large Paintings (Hardcover)

The lush colorful paintings of award-winning Scottish Painter Howard Hodgkin may not be familiar to many Americans, but are well known in the U.K. and beyond. People who appreciate works by inventive colorists like Henri Mattise or Hodgkin's fellow countryman, David Hockney, may respond favorably to this work. "Howard Hodgkin, Large Paintings, 1984-2002," contains two short essays and 14 lush color reproductions. Like Hodgkin's works, the small portions this handsome little book affords are perfect for art that is more complex than first meets the eye. In fact, the actual "large paintings" are only big when compared to their puny cousins. Essays by Robert Rosenblum and Richard Kendall provide thoughtful, clear commentary, on an art where important aspects hide in plain view; "ecstasy and dissonance" create unlikely harmonies. Big paint strokes, carefully planned, cover frames as well as "picture." This is cerebral, romantic art---think Zen pottery glazing--or Turner's seascapes. Quite uninterested in reproducing the outward appearances of things and settings, Hodgkin sees himself as an "emotional painter" of specific intimate events or people. "Howard Hodgkin, Large Paintings, 1984-2002" may appeal to literate people with conservative taste. Hodgkin's progressive art proves modernism need not be the enemy of emotion. A worthy introduction to Britain's brilliant working artist. A real eye-opener.