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Hockney on 'Art': Conversations with Paul Joyce
David Hockney is as fascinating as he is articulate on ways of seeing, and in this impressive book he leads us on an artistic journey where anything is possible. He considers the influence of Picasso and Rembrandt and speaks of Eastern conventions and their relevance to his work. He points to Laurel and Hardy's lasting appeal in his conviction that popularity and art are not incompatible. Hockney and his work have long been the subjects of controversy—few 20th century artists have so successfully surmounted their cult image for three decades; yet and he remains one of our most relentlessly dedicated, versatile, and original painters.
256 pages, Paperback
First published December 3, 1999
About the author
David Hockney
211 books157 followersDavid Hockney (9 July 1937 - 11 June 2026) was a renowned English painter, draughtsman, printmaker, stage designer, and photographer.
He loved books and was interested in art from an early age, admiring Picasso, Matisse and Fragonard. His parents encouraged their son’s artistic exploration, and gave him the freedom to doodle and daydream.
Hockney attended the Bradford College of Art from 1953 to 1957. Then, because he was a conscientious objector to military service, he spent two years working in hospitals to fulfill his national service requirement. In 1959, he entered graduate school at the Royal College of Art in London alongside other young artists such as Peter Blake and Allen Jones, and he experimented with different forms, including abstract expressionism. He did well as a student, and his paintings won prizes and were purchased for private collections.
Hockney’s early paintings incorporated his literary leanings, and he used fragments of poems and quotations from Walt Whitman in his work. This practice, and paintings such as We Two Boys Clinging Together, which he created in 1961, were the first nods to his homosexuality in his art.
Because he frequently went to the movies with his father as a child, Hockney once quipped that he was raised in both Bradford and Hollywood. He was drawn to the light and the heat of California, and first visited Los Angeles in 1963. He officially moved there in 1966. The swimming pools of L.A. were one of his favorite subjects, and he became known for large, iconic works such as A Bigger Splash. His expressionistic style evolved, and by the 1970s, he was considered more of a realist.
In addition to pools, Hockney painted the interiors and exteriors of California homes. In 1970, this led to the creation of his first “joiner,” an assemblage of Polaroid photos laid out in a grid. Although this medium would become one his claims to fame, he stumbled upon it by accident. While working on a painting of a Los Angeles living room, he took a series of photos for his own reference, and fixed them together so he could paint from the image. When he finished, however, he recognized the collage as an art form unto itself, and began to create more.
Hockney was an adept photographer, and he began working with photography more extensively. By the mid 1970s, he had all but abandoned painting in favor of projects involving photography, lithographs, and set and costume design for the ballet, opera and theater.
In the late 1980s, Hockney returned to painting, primarily painting seascapes, flowers and portraits of loved ones. He also began incorporating technology in his art, creating his first homemade prints on a photocopier in 1986. The marriage of art and technology became an ongoing fascination—he used laser fax machines and laser printers in 1990, and in 2009 he started using the Brushes app on iPhones and iPads to create paintings. A 2011 exhibit at the Royal Museum of Ontario showcased 100 of these paintings.
In a 2011 poll of more than 1,000 British artists, Hockney was voted the most influential British artist of all time. He continued to paint and exhibit, and advocated for funding for the arts.
source: http://www.biography.com/people/david...
He loved books and was interested in art from an early age, admiring Picasso, Matisse and Fragonard. His parents encouraged their son’s artistic exploration, and gave him the freedom to doodle and daydream.
Hockney attended the Bradford College of Art from 1953 to 1957. Then, because he was a conscientious objector to military service, he spent two years working in hospitals to fulfill his national service requirement. In 1959, he entered graduate school at the Royal College of Art in London alongside other young artists such as Peter Blake and Allen Jones, and he experimented with different forms, including abstract expressionism. He did well as a student, and his paintings won prizes and were purchased for private collections.
Hockney’s early paintings incorporated his literary leanings, and he used fragments of poems and quotations from Walt Whitman in his work. This practice, and paintings such as We Two Boys Clinging Together, which he created in 1961, were the first nods to his homosexuality in his art.
Because he frequently went to the movies with his father as a child, Hockney once quipped that he was raised in both Bradford and Hollywood. He was drawn to the light and the heat of California, and first visited Los Angeles in 1963. He officially moved there in 1966. The swimming pools of L.A. were one of his favorite subjects, and he became known for large, iconic works such as A Bigger Splash. His expressionistic style evolved, and by the 1970s, he was considered more of a realist.
In addition to pools, Hockney painted the interiors and exteriors of California homes. In 1970, this led to the creation of his first “joiner,” an assemblage of Polaroid photos laid out in a grid. Although this medium would become one his claims to fame, he stumbled upon it by accident. While working on a painting of a Los Angeles living room, he took a series of photos for his own reference, and fixed them together so he could paint from the image. When he finished, however, he recognized the collage as an art form unto itself, and began to create more.
Hockney was an adept photographer, and he began working with photography more extensively. By the mid 1970s, he had all but abandoned painting in favor of projects involving photography, lithographs, and set and costume design for the ballet, opera and theater.
In the late 1980s, Hockney returned to painting, primarily painting seascapes, flowers and portraits of loved ones. He also began incorporating technology in his art, creating his first homemade prints on a photocopier in 1986. The marriage of art and technology became an ongoing fascination—he used laser fax machines and laser printers in 1990, and in 2009 he started using the Brushes app on iPhones and iPads to create paintings. A 2011 exhibit at the Royal Museum of Ontario showcased 100 of these paintings.
In a 2011 poll of more than 1,000 British artists, Hockney was voted the most influential British artist of all time. He continued to paint and exhibit, and advocated for funding for the arts.
source: http://www.biography.com/people/david...
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 9, 2015
I always enjoy David Hockney in conversation, even now when I'm making a concerted effort to learn and hold on to knowledge specific to photography, and may not be in blind agreement with him, as I have when reading previous books. His personal enthusiasm is very contagious, as here, he waxes on a great deal about Picasso, who I'll admit to not being a fan of, (maybe more as a man than as an artist, but that perception still taints his work for me). But, give David Hockney room to expound upon Picasso and Cubism, and just like that! I'm newly intrigued. The same goes for Monet in a later section of the book. Mostly, through these conversations, I finally want to read about Hockney's work from a slightly more objective author. I wonder, is there such a one who could do him justice the way Hockney has done for the artists and mediums he loves to work with, share, and talk about?
March 10, 2025
Good, but should be called Hockney on Photography, as that’s pretty much what the whole book talks about!
June 19, 2015
A useful but odd collection of interviews and conversations presented in chronological order from July 1982 to June 1999. The decision to present the conversations chronologically somehow made it a bit boring for me. We all know how interesting Hockney can be, especially when talking about his art, but to read his words in print form like this is not as entertaining or informative as listening to his northern accent and watching his gestures and facial expressions. He's a showman and a great performer full of opinions, humour and passion. This tome just falls a bit flat because it lacks that sense of humour you get when seeing Hockney live or talking to camera. I've never been a big fan of printed conversation books. They seem to aim for authenticity and raw unedited truth but end up being a bit lazy and in need of a good editor. I really wanted to love this book but it's not one of my favourites. Having said all that, it is beautifully illustrated, which is a big plus. Paul Joyce's hard work over the years has resulted in a really well presented piece of documentation that can serve to remind us of all the themes and issues Hockney has concerned himself with throughout his career. Well done.
April 13, 2015
I'm gonna sound so arrogant/ignorant but I didn't really like this book. Even before I was familiar with Hockney's work I found that he had a reputation for being a bit pretentious but I really did find this to be true whilst reading this. I read it for my photography a level as I am studying Hockney and I ended up just looking up 'Cubism', 'photography' and 'joiners' in the index and ignoring the rest. The whole of this book is Hockney portraying himself as a mad visionary and philosopher of art but I found him to be so, so dull at the end.
Unless you really really love his work, I would not recommend.
Unless you really really love his work, I would not recommend.
November 25, 2011
This is a series of conversations with Hockney by the photographer Paul Joyce over the years 1982-1999. The conversations center around Hockney's photomontages through which he tried to capture the subject over time (moments)as opposed to the static canvases typical of painting since the Renaissance. Hockney also notes Asian scroll paintings as attempts to capture the experience of a place as you walk through it. Hockney tried some of this when he painted landscapes in a broad view. Pretty interesting and featuring wonderful plates.
June 27, 2012
The interview format of this book makes it a very enjoyable read. Hockney speaks candidly about his own work and process, but also of his influences. Everything from Picasso to Vermeer, Van Gogh to Rembrandt. I think that anyone who is looking into how the camera has influenced art should look closely at these interviews. They may be the summary of such a subject, as Hockney was influenced by the camera, he has studied how others had been as well. These interviews were collected over a series of decades and truly give a great lense to this great artist.
September 18, 2016
Interesting Paul Joyce meets up with Hockney over the years and talks about his art, I was particularly interested in how he started with photography, moved into collages and then the decision to paint, ie the Grand Canyon series.
October 11, 2012
A great painter is revealed by himself
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews