David Hockney's continuing belief in the importance of the portrait and his virtuoso skill in creating a sense of close communication between artist, sitter and viewer has resulted in some of the best-loved works of the postwar era. From the 1950s on, Hockney's most persistent subject matter, in paintings, drawings, collages and photoworks, has been of people usually very close to him, as well as of himself. These works are narratives of autobiographical relationships: they reflect the intimate and often intense stories of this artist's life.
They also explore different formal ways of representing the passage of time and at the same time the unavoidable but marvellous stillness of portraits. The works include fascinating sequences as he paints his mother or Henry Geldzahler or Celia Birtwell on and off for decades; the special qualities attached to depictions of lovers; and the range of celebrities, writers and artists - Billy Wilder, Armistead Maupin, W.H. Auden, Henry Moore, Christopher Isherwood - who have been part of a very full life.
The text by a distinguished European critic and curator reinforces the point that this hugely popular English-born artist, who made America his second home, has become a figure of worldwide appeal.

Autorentext
Marco Livingstone is an art historian and independent curator, with numerous publications on Pop Art, David Hockney, Patrick Caulfield, R B Kitaj, Allen Jones, Paula Rego, Jim Dine, Peter Blake, Peter Phillips, Duane Michals, Peter Kinley and many others. Kay Heymer is head of the Modern Art Department at the Museum Kunstpalast Düsseldorf in Germany.

Klappentext
The life and loves of one of the world's best known artists, now published in paperback to coincide with a major exhibition at the Royal Academy, London
Spanning several decades and showing how Hockney's style has developed, this is a must-have book for all Hockney fans and lovers of modern art.
From the 1950s on, Hockney's most persistent subject matter, in paintings, drawings, collages and photoworks, has been people usually very close to him, as well as of himself.
These works are narratives of autobiographical relationships:?they reflect the intimate and often intense stories of the artist's life. They also explore different formal ways of representing the passage of time and at the same time the unavoidable but marvellous stillness of portraits.

The works include fascinating sequences as he paints his mother, Henry Geldzahler, Celia Birtwell (on and off for decades), his lovers, great friends and the famous - celebrities, writers and artists who have been part of his life, such as Billy Wilder, Armistead Maupin, W.H. Auden, Henry Moore and Christopher Isherwood.

Zusammenfassung
Explores different formal ways of representing the passage of time and at the same time the unavoidable but marvellous stillness of portraits.