David Hockney, le dernier peintre: Le dernier peintre / roman graphique

by Monica Foggia, Giovanni Gastaldi (Illustrator)

Die biografische Graphic Novel zu einem der bekanntesten und erfolgreichsten Maler der Gegenwart David Hockneys Arbeit ist stark von seinem persönlichen Leben beeinflusst. Von diesem reichen und spannenden Leben wollte der Künstler aus seiner eigenen Perspektive, mit seinen eigenen Emotionen und mit seinen Bildern erzählen. David Hockneys Leben und Werk werden in dieser Graphic Novel von einem imaginären Museumswärter in der Tate Britain in London in den Tagen vor der Eröffnung seiner großen Retrospektive erzählt. Eine farbenfroh illustrierte Graphic Novel, die auch für Kunsteinsteiger geeignet ist.

Genres: Graphic Novels

144 pages, Hardcover

Published April 4, 2024

About the author

Monica Foggia is a teacher, author, and radio presenter. She is helping produce a graphic novel on the artist David Hockney.

Reviews

[Violeta · Rating 4 out of 5]

This graphic novel is light as a feather, both in sketching and text. Exactly as it should be, considering its theme: a presentation of painter David Hockney’s life and times. It serves more as a starting point for those who wish to delve deeper into the artist’s journey, than as a stand-alone monograph.

I was fortunate to read it together with my friend Charles, whose insightful review paints a fine picture of the book and reflects his generosity. He thinks it is young-adult literature, and I agree, but also rejoice in having things explained nice and easy to the child in me, from time to time.

I thought that the novel’s vibrant images and colors, paired with its sensitive (but rather compressed) narration, paid proper homage to the artist’s signature style. There is a lightness of tone in Hockney’s works, but their themes touch on all the heavy questions that are inevitably pondered throughout a lifetime: relationships, time, loss, nature, pain, love, life’s complexity and beauty. They universally resonate and are so popular because they are comprehensible by all. In one vignette Hockney says to his curator friend that “one must understand in order to enjoy” and the creators of this novel tried to do exactly that for those of us who the white splash of chlorinated water in a Californian swimming pool is the first thing that comes to mind when the name of Hockney is mentioned.

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hockney’s use of vibrant, cheery colours inspired this visual interpretation of his artistic journey, which felt upbeat and entirely adequate, if light in content. The painter’s vision and his pick of favourite themes, his desire to explore various techniques, the close relationships that he kept, and his advocacy for gay rights also came across perfectly — if, again, superficially.

Did I realize before launching into this that it was young adult literature? No, and when the synopsis mentions that the graphic novel is “accessible,” it’s not kidding, let me assure you. However, I read this in tandem with Violeta, because I’m that kind of lucky, and as I was grumbling about the impossible lightness of it all, she deftly raised the same lightness to an artistic choice and a thing of beauty, which both are correct, especially with Hockney as a subject.

I enjoyed this enough, but I remember a whole section on David Hockney in Modernists and Mavericks by Martin Gayford that had substantially more meat on the bone, and I hope to return to something similar, one day. In the meanwhile, I need to identify a friend whose kids might love this graphic novel more than I did: there are important messages about being your own person in there, and the way to address it remains lovely.

(So... four baby-sized stars, though three grown-up ones, let's say.)

[Jon Zelazny · Rating 1 out of 5]

Guess I was hoping for something with the insight and aesthetic daring of Lou Reed and John Cale's Warhol tribute SONGS FOR DRELLA, but this wheels haphazardly in and out of Hockney's life, with confusing narration, supporting characters you barely meet before they vanish, god-awful dialogue, and lots of intellectual blather that actually obscures the value of the man's work. As an Angeleno, I was curious about his many years here, and what I learned is he indeed lived here for many years.

[Bailee Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really nice colorful illustrations matching his work to tell his story!

[Jerry Summers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the artwork. Would have liked some artistic samples. Interesting life of an artist and friendships.