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David Hockney (b. 1937) has always been closely associated with Pop Art and California, where he has lived for much of his life. This major study of his work, published to accompany the exhibition showing at the Royal Academy of Arts in London, redefines him as an important painter of the English countryside, presenting his recent landscapes for the first time. In an attempt to renew contemporary art, Hockney has returned to painting in the open air, observing with honesty and intensity the scenery of his childhood in East Yorkshire. Marco Livingstone explores this bold departure in the context of Hockneys sixty-year career, while other contributors address the artists place in the landscape tradition, his recent video works and their relationship to English landscape film-making, and his ongoing use of new technologies. Illustrated with paintings, iPad drawings and video stills, many of which have never been seen before, this landmark publication confirms David Hockney as one of the greatest artists of his generation.
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78 of 78 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is a sumptuous book, well deserving of its meteoric rise to best-seller status on the opening of the Royal Academy of Arts exhibition which it serves as the catalogue. The large, almost square format lends itself well to the several hundred full colour reproductions. Some works extend across two pages, but the problem so common with art books of key features being interrupted by, or even disappearing into, the page fold seems not to occur with Hockney. Or perhaps this is just very superior book design.
Like the exhibition, the book majors on Hockney's recent work centred on a relatively small patch of East Yorkshire. Without abandoning his Californian base, Hockney has spent much time in recent years in East Yorkshire, observing in particular the changing seasons as reflected in the lanes, trees and fields. Hugely prolific in several media, he returns time and again to the same single-track road - a one-time Roman road, apparently - the same tunnel of trees, and some open views across fields, tram-tracked in their season by outsize farm machinery. His painting style frequently echoes that of Van Gogh, and we are reminded that Van Gogh too produced large numbers of rustic pictures.
A photograph presented as the first of no less than seven splendid frontispieces seems to indicate that Hockney reproduces the physical features of his landscapes very much as in life. He changes perspective and colour tone, but trees, hedges and gaps in hedges remain very much as they are. The detail of some subjects is given closer attention on some of his visits than on others. There is a huge amount for us to observe, and this book makes it possible to do so at leisure, over as long a period as we wish.
Whilst the book majors on recent works made in East Yorkshire, significant space is given to earlier work in Yorkshire and elsewhere, including the renowned Grand Canyon series. Not quite amounting to a retrospective, this provides a liberal setting of context. Hockney also shares with us his 2010 series based on Claude Lorrain's 1656 painting, The Sermon on the Mount; something very different, although still outdoors. And towards the end of the book we have photographs taken by Hockney (with acknowledged assistance) with banks of nine and eighteen cameras - with words of explanation by Hockney on the genesis of that project and on why nine (or 18) cameras are better than one. He surmises that the new technology will enable new kinds of narrative, as the movie camera did ninety years ago. He has of course long been one to embrace new technologies as they arrive.
Essays by Hockney's fellow Yorkshire person, the novelist Margaret Drabble, three eminent curators, the author of the companion volume A Bigger Message: Conversations with David Hockney, and Tim Barringer, Professor of Art History at Yale University, complement the wealth of Hockney generated material. In all, this book puts many another best-seller in the shade. Hockney's preferred shade, we surmise, would be that of his beloved Woldgate as the trees there grow into their early summer splendour. In all its seasons, he has done Woldgate proud, and us too.
Like the exhibition, the book majors on Hockney's recent work centred on a relatively small patch of East Yorkshire. Without abandoning his Californian base, Hockney has spent much time in recent years in East Yorkshire, observing in particular the changing seasons as reflected in the lanes, trees and fields. Hugely prolific in several media, he returns time and again to the same single-track road - a one-time Roman road, apparently - the same tunnel of trees, and some open views across fields, tram-tracked in their season by outsize farm machinery. His painting style frequently echoes that of Van Gogh, and we are reminded that Van Gogh too produced large numbers of rustic pictures.
A photograph presented as the first of no less than seven splendid frontispieces seems to indicate that Hockney reproduces the physical features of his landscapes very much as in life. He changes perspective and colour tone, but trees, hedges and gaps in hedges remain very much as they are. The detail of some subjects is given closer attention on some of his visits than on others. There is a huge amount for us to observe, and this book makes it possible to do so at leisure, over as long a period as we wish.
Whilst the book majors on recent works made in East Yorkshire, significant space is given to earlier work in Yorkshire and elsewhere, including the renowned Grand Canyon series. Not quite amounting to a retrospective, this provides a liberal setting of context. Hockney also shares with us his 2010 series based on Claude Lorrain's 1656 painting, The Sermon on the Mount; something very different, although still outdoors. And towards the end of the book we have photographs taken by Hockney (with acknowledged assistance) with banks of nine and eighteen cameras - with words of explanation by Hockney on the genesis of that project and on why nine (or 18) cameras are better than one. He surmises that the new technology will enable new kinds of narrative, as the movie camera did ninety years ago. He has of course long been one to embrace new technologies as they arrive.
Essays by Hockney's fellow Yorkshire person, the novelist Margaret Drabble, three eminent curators, the author of the companion volume A Bigger Message: Conversations with David Hockney, and Tim Barringer, Professor of Art History at Yale University, complement the wealth of Hockney generated material. In all, this book puts many another best-seller in the shade. Hockney's preferred shade, we surmise, would be that of his beloved Woldgate as the trees there grow into their early summer splendour. In all its seasons, he has done Woldgate proud, and us too.
25 of 25 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This exhibition at the Royal Academy is inspirational. It is huge in every way: lots of pictures, some massive, in lots of rooms. What really hits you is Hockney's use of colour. There are a couple of early landscapes of Yorkshire that are grey and dour. Then Hockney moves to Hollywood and catches colour. That is probably rather a simplistic way of putting it, but that is how it feels. There are some wonderful photomontages of the Grand Canyon that lead to an enormous painted version in scarlet, vermilion and crimson, not perhaps colours you would associate with the Grand Canyon but it works.
Stunning as the pictures of America are, it is the paintings of East Yorkshire that are the stars of the show. Again, his use of colour is amazing. The paintings are luminous, glowing, uplifting. Especially interesting are the fifty-one (derived from sketching using an app on his Ipad) of the changing seasons in, I think, Woldingham Woods. (He says that the Ipad was easy to use sitting in the car when it was cold.) He painted many of the pictures en plein air, where it would have been difficult to manage huge canvases, so, apart from using his Ipad, many of paintings have been put together using nine or more separate small canvases.
I was lucky enough to go and see the exhibition, but I know that many people will not be able to. This book is the next best thing. It features all the works in the exhibition with interesting articles on Hockney, his pictures and techniques used.
The quality of the reproductions is excellent, the paintings losing only a little of their depth and luminosity.
I should have liked to have spent more time at the exhibition - an hour or so a day for several weeks. Since that is not possible, I can study the paintings in this book instead. One misses the massive scale of the paintings, but one can't have everything and this is a pretty good substitute.
Stunning as the pictures of America are, it is the paintings of East Yorkshire that are the stars of the show. Again, his use of colour is amazing. The paintings are luminous, glowing, uplifting. Especially interesting are the fifty-one (derived from sketching using an app on his Ipad) of the changing seasons in, I think, Woldingham Woods. (He says that the Ipad was easy to use sitting in the car when it was cold.) He painted many of the pictures en plein air, where it would have been difficult to manage huge canvases, so, apart from using his Ipad, many of paintings have been put together using nine or more separate small canvases.
I was lucky enough to go and see the exhibition, but I know that many people will not be able to. This book is the next best thing. It features all the works in the exhibition with interesting articles on Hockney, his pictures and techniques used.
The quality of the reproductions is excellent, the paintings losing only a little of their depth and luminosity.
I should have liked to have spent more time at the exhibition - an hour or so a day for several weeks. Since that is not possible, I can study the paintings in this book instead. One misses the massive scale of the paintings, but one can't have everything and this is a pretty good substitute.
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Excellent, large pictures so you can see the details and colours which is great for artists. Not been a fan of Hockneys` work in the past until I saw the TV programme about the artist working in the landscape that and the book has made me want to see the pictures in real life, if I can get into the London exhibition because it is so popular. Also bought the DVD and the book `A bigger Message,Conversations with David Hockney` Martin Gayford, because the price reduction from Amazon meant they were more affordable than buying from the RA.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Beautiful
I was own away by the exhibition and the captures the essence well. You cannot expect the same wow factor but this book evokes the memory of a great afternoon. Read more
Published 3 days ago by Mrs. C. Willey
a bigger and very impressive picture
The book is a great record of Hockney's recent exhibition at the Royal Academy. Not only are the images of the exhibition very well presented, but the explanation of the motives... Read more
Published 3 days ago by scribblingtyke
David Hockney - A Bigger Picture
From Simple Books. I didn't ever receive the book so really cannot comment on it.It's such a shame as I have not received an apology from the bookseller and I found it very... Read more
Published 8 days ago by Mrs. A. R. Slaney
A must have!
Whether you like David Hockney's work or not, you must have this book. It is quite simply one of the best books I own.
Published 8 days ago by Leighr
Must Have
This is such a beautiful book. Really lovely illustrated guide to some of the most recent work from Hockney. I can't recommend this book more highly. Read more
Published 14 days ago by P. Underwood
A Bigger Picture
If you were not able to visit the Hockney exhibition in London this book is the next best thing.
Extremely well produced and very informative it will enchant you.
Extremely well produced and very informative it will enchant you.
Published 16 days ago by Agnes Troy
Art books don't get better than this.
If you are a new fan of Hockney get this book. If you are an old fan of Hocknet get this book. If you saw the R.A. exhibition get this book. Read more
Published 16 days ago by Berrypicker
Thorougly recommend
Absolutely wonderful book. Having watched the tv programme about the Hockney exhibition, but being unable to visit it, this book means that I can re-visit the programme whenever I... Read more
Published 16 days ago by Lezley
David Hockney - A Bigger Picture
Excellent book, made a good compensation for not getting to the exhibition. Full of excellent colour photos & interesting facts.
Published 18 days ago by Dave
Evolution
Very pleased with book ,bit of a mix up with the order but very happy on receipt not the impact of the exhibition but a very close second
Published 18 days ago by papert
Listmania!
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