In review: David Hockney

A master at combining innovation and tradition, David Hockney’s oeuvre spans over seven decades, and this book, compiled with the full involvement of David Hockney and his studio, offers a detailed journey of the artist’s career. Published in association with the Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris, in partner to a major exhibition of the artist’s work, the book offers a glorious, colourful insight into the métier of one of Britain’s most influential artists.

Focussing primarily on the last 25 years, the book reflects key themes in his work - from his early life in Bradford and London through the California era and his later years in Bridlington, Yorkshire, and Normandy, France. Chapters also include Portraits and Flowers, Opera, People and Yorkshire, accompanied by insightful text from pre-eminent curatorial experts, art historians and critics, including Sir Norman Rosenthal and Sir Simon Schama. Full of archival images within a large-scale landscape format, with a selection of gatefolds that enables the reader to revel in the art, it charts an incredibly creative life.

Revisiting some of the old masters, such as Cezanne, Van Gogh and Picasso, Hockney is inspired to capture portraits of old friends and vistas, his imagination and zest for life evident in his use of colour, simple composition and observation of the everyday. Yet do not be deceived by its gaiety, as often the complexity of his work is hidden behind its simplicity.

Inventive, curious, and experimental with media, in 2020, compelled by lockdown to stay confined in his Normandy village, Hockney experimented with his iPad. Producing images of his surroundings and the seasons, the technology allowed him to frequently revisit and renew his themes. Recent work is also included in the book, such as multiplications of digitised images and photographic collages. Artistic freedom and pursuit of visual joy have always driven his creative output, offering such a rich variety of compositions that ensures this book is a delight, both for existing fans and for those who, up to now, may have been ignorant of the scale of his work. The vibrancy of his art and his celebration of the mundane offers an optimism we all seek, reflected in his comment, ‘Do remember they can’t cancel the spring’.

David Hockney 25 Exhibition runs at the Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris until 31st August 2025