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Spring Cannot Be Cancelled
David Hockney reflects upon life and art as he experiences lockdown in rural Normandy in this inspiring book which includes conversations with the artist and his latest artworks. On turning eighty, David Hockney sought out rustic tranquility for the first a place to watch the sunset and the change of the seasons; a place to keep the madness of the world at bay. So when Covid-19 and lockdown struck, it made little difference to life at La Grande Cour, the centuries-old Normandy farmhouse where Hockney set up a studio a year earlier, in time to paint the arrival of spring. In fact, he relished the enforced isolation as an opportunity for even greater devotion to his art. Spring Cannot Be Cancelled is an uplifting manifesto that affirms art’s capacity to divert and inspire. It is based on a wealth of new conversations and correspondence between Hockney and art critic Martin Gayford, his long-time friend and collaborator. Their exchanges are illustrated by a selection of Hockney’s new Normandy drawings and paintings alongside works by Van Gogh, Monet, Bruegel, and others. We see how Hockney is propelled ever forward by his infectious enthusiasms and sense of wonder. A lifelong contrarian, he has been in the public eye for sixty years, yet remains entirely unconcerned by the view of critics or even history. He is utterly absorbed by his four acres of northern France and by the themes that have fascinated him for light, color, space, perception, water, trees. He has much to teach us, not only about how to see . . . but about how to live. 142 color illustrations
280 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2021
About the author
David Hockney
201 books131 followersDavid Hockney was born in Bradford, England, on July 9, 1937. 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 continues to paint and exhibit, and advocates for funding for the arts.
source: http://www.biography.com/people/david...
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 continues to paint and exhibit, and advocates for funding for the arts.
source: http://www.biography.com/people/david...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 140 reviews
October 16, 2022
I borrowed this thinking it would be an art book which is what I wanted and then it seemed as though it would be a biography. It isn’t really either, even though it has aspects of both. There is art in here and it’s wonderful. Some of it is by Hockney and some of it is by other artists. A lot of Hockney’s recent work is included and I love it. Most of it is presented on only parts of pages though so it never really feels like an art book. It was interesting reading the email correspondence between Hockney and the art critic. It was great reading about Hockney’s decision at age 80 to be in a setting with beauty and a lack of distractions and then when covid-19 hit it didn’t make much difference anyway. He was already deliberately living in safe isolation. The art that came out of that experience is wonderful. I think this is as much a philosophy of life book as it is anything else. I enjoyed it a lot but I think I’d have enjoyed it more had I known what I would be reading/viewing. The art was my favorite part of the book. I was expecting a not too heavy text art book but this book is mostly text and it took me forever to read it. I will be looking for more Hockney books. I’ve enjoyed those I’ve read and enjoyed the Hockney museums exhibits and painting I’ve seen in museums. I like the man and I like his art. 4-1/2 stars
July 22, 2021
Such an uplifting book, great dialogue, educational with many images of the paintings he's referring to. Honouring nature throughout and you can't help but be enticed to become more aware of your surroundings and possibly pick up a paint brush to capture it.
April 20, 2022
This book I think will one of my favourite non fiction books this year.
I found it fascinating the insights and analysis given to Hockney's and other artists work with the inclusion of illustrations/art along the way.
The many references to influences- art, artists, people & books, etc that inspired both Hockney & Gayford had me many times stopping to go off and research.
The interview really left me feeling I got to know the artist more, his self control to often distance himself from social situations to get work done and the solitude he craved but got given due to Covid. Lockdown made him look more at his surroundings and find beauty all around his garden in Normandy in the spring time and therefore he produced some wonderful work that he shared to help the public. A book I did not want end.
I found it fascinating the insights and analysis given to Hockney's and other artists work with the inclusion of illustrations/art along the way.
The many references to influences- art, artists, people & books, etc that inspired both Hockney & Gayford had me many times stopping to go off and research.
The interview really left me feeling I got to know the artist more, his self control to often distance himself from social situations to get work done and the solitude he craved but got given due to Covid. Lockdown made him look more at his surroundings and find beauty all around his garden in Normandy in the spring time and therefore he produced some wonderful work that he shared to help the public. A book I did not want end.
July 25, 2022
This book was a disappointment. It was 1) not at all what I was looking for/expecting from this book and 2) not good at what it was. I read the blurb:
...when Covid-19 and lockdown struck, it made little difference to life at La Grande Cour, the centuries-old Normandy farmhouse where Hockney set up a studio a year earlier, in time to paint the arrival of spring. In fact, he relished the enforced isolation as an opportunity for even greater devotion to his art. Spring Cannot Be Cancelled is an uplifting manifesto that affirms art’s capacity to divert and inspire.
and expected this book to be about overcoming hardship - an unexpected and far-reaching tragedy - and finding light and meaning in life through art. Something like The Letters of Vincent van Gogh.
But in fact, this book lacked all of those elements:
- it's written as a biography (by Martin Gayford, the art critic) rather than as a memoir. David Hockney, the artist, is only sporadically quoted
- there's just one passing mention of the epidemic; it plays no role in the events of the book nor in the conversations/musings described
- the book had no depth, no inspirational or philosophical component. It's just about Hockney - how he gets up in the morning, takes a walk around the barn, etc., etc. I'd never heard of Hockney before reading this book, so his process of creating art wasn't of particular interest to me, and the book did not make it interesting.
- there was no rhyme or reason to the contents of the book - it told no particular story and didn't seem to have a point or structure. The chapters were just there and didn't seem to add up to anything
The opinions and thoughts of Hockney were so generic that reading them felt like a waste of time. Here's an example:
MG: What do you think when you see something very good by another artist?
DH: Well, you think 'Hmm, yes!' You're impressed. You get a bit jealous perhaps. I feel that, even of the etching on the wall behind you - by Leon Kossoff, isn't it? It's very, very good. He was always good, I thought. I liked him a lot.
That's it, that's the whole bit! After this, they moved on to a different topic. Does this sound interesting or deep? Is it worth reading? Is it worth printing?
How about this:
I have often said that I can enjoy watching the rain in puddles, which makes me quite rare. I like rain. I have always done pictures of it. I did a print of the rain making the ink run, at the Gemini print studio in 1973.
There was also this pretentiousness sprinkled in:
When color television arrived, apparently Hockney noticed that by turning up the knobs, the picture can be made Fauvist. With FaceTime, you can get accidental effects much like late Bonnard.
He is the sort of person who can happily spend five hours just looking at an exhibition of paintings, and who for recreation, after spending a day drawing, might read Proust or Flaubert or zip through a seven-hundred-page study of Wagner's cultural influence.
Really, a dude likes the rain, reading, and looking at art? How special!!!! 🙄🙄🙄
The edition was very pretty though. It has plenty of full-color illustrations - pictures of Hockney's art. The paper and binding are very high-quality - it's a beautiful object to have if only the content weren't so disappointing.
I love art and love reading artists' musings. I sought the book out because this spring arrived with a full-scale war in my country, and I needed solace and light. The idea of this book seemed perfect to me - art, inspiration, and resilience. But it turned out to be an empty shell about a dude who likes the rain.
April 2, 2021
Brimming full of optimism and emergent spring colour. Martin Gayford, in collaboration with David Hockney, has managed to recreate a series of fascinating conversations and has invited the enthralled reader as a guest. As a Yorkshireman of firm convictions - not those of the dyed-in-the-wool kind, but largely based upon observation, upon really looking - Hockney takes you, as reader and enthuses you. These include light, the movement of water and the nature of puddles, via the artist’s studio, Wagner, the Bayeux Tapestry and shadows and many other subjects. Above all, it is easy to appreciate how Hockney’s innate artistic curiosity has kept our attention and interest for 60 years or more. A beautifully produced and well-illustrated book, enough to revitalise the laziest eye, to look, look, look...
April 16, 2022
Najradostnejšie čítanie tohto roku zatiaľ.
Rozhovory s umelcami a tvorcami sú môj obľúbený (sub)žáner a tieto- rozhovory Davida Hockneyho (pre ktorého som až doposiaľ nemala nijak zvlášť špeciálne miesto v srdci) a Martina Gayforda sú inšpiratívnym životabudičom. Časopriestorovo vsadeným do obdobia lockdownov a Hockneyho pobytu v dome v Normandii, kde sledoval a zaznamenáI príchod jari.
Isto nečítam poslednýkrát a už ma v knižnici čaká ďalšia ich spoločná kniha.
PS: SKVELÝ názov! (Aj vy ste to počas prvej covid jari prežívali úžas nad tým, aká je jar nezastaviteľná a prekrásna?)
Rozhovory s umelcami a tvorcami sú môj obľúbený (sub)žáner a tieto- rozhovory Davida Hockneyho (pre ktorého som až doposiaľ nemala nijak zvlášť špeciálne miesto v srdci) a Martina Gayforda sú inšpiratívnym životabudičom. Časopriestorovo vsadeným do obdobia lockdownov a Hockneyho pobytu v dome v Normandii, kde sledoval a zaznamenáI príchod jari.
Isto nečítam poslednýkrát a už ma v knižnici čaká ďalšia ich spoločná kniha.
PS: SKVELÝ názov! (Aj vy ste to počas prvej covid jari prežívali úžas nad tým, aká je jar nezastaviteľná a prekrásna?)
June 12, 2023
What a lovely object this book is: a satisfyingly solid hardback bound in cool bright colours, with thick, cream-coloured pages that allow for good quality printing of the many illustrations. The hardback is a nice readable size, not unwieldy like a coffee table book, but nonetheless an art book with nearly as many pages of images as of text. These illustrations are not just of Hockey's work; his inspirations and influences are also included. Gayford essentially collates conversations with and artworks by Hockney into a narrative, centring around the period of 2020 when Hockney was in lockdown in his beautiful Normandy farmhouse.
Hockney (via Gayford's quotations) is critical of photography as a means of capturing nature's beauty.
Hockney's strikingly colourful lockdown works are nearly all pictures of his gardens, done via an iPad app or more traditional media. Without the distraction of visitors, he completed one or more of these pictures every day.
Via these works, the book considers the power of getting to know your surroundings and looking at them with an artist's eye. I think lockdowns forced us all to do more of this.
Gayford also includes Hockney's broader philosophies of life and art.
This beautifully arranged book is primarily a visual (and generally sensual) pleasure, but the text is thought-provoking too and compliments the images well without descending into hagiography.
Hockney (via Gayford's quotations) is critical of photography as a means of capturing nature's beauty.
There, in that chance visit to an exhibition, lay the germ for decades of thought and work: how the stroke of a brush, pen, or stick of charcoal could produce a picture that was better and in a way truer than any camera. What he saw in Marquet's work was what he also finds in Monet: beautiful marks that reveal the beauty of the world, so that when you've seen their pictures you see more in the world around you. Of course, that's what he's doing himself.
Hockney's strikingly colourful lockdown works are nearly all pictures of his gardens, done via an iPad app or more traditional media. Without the distraction of visitors, he completed one or more of these pictures every day.
Just as the camera does not see space or sunsets as the human eye and brain perceive them, neither does it register the colours of flowers in the way that we experience them. That is why photographing a spring meadow, for example, is a frustrating business. Where you see a mass of wild blooms - red, yellow, blue, and white - the lens minimises these hues and records mainly grass and leaves. Monet's painter's-palette flower beds might not appeal to a serious aficionado of the herbaceous border. But then what a painter finds interesting will not delight every eye ('willows, old rotten planks, slimy posts, and brickwork' were on Constable's list of his favourite things). So arranging a garden for an artist to paint is different from making one for a horticulturist, a tree-fancier, or a lawn-lover. Conversely, what makes for a good painting or drawing is not necessarily the sort of prime specimen that would please a landscape architect or arboriculturist.
Via these works, the book considers the power of getting to know your surroundings and looking at them with an artist's eye. I think lockdowns forced us all to do more of this.
What is special about these landscapes is precisely that they are his own: long studied and internalised. He knows them deeply, thoroughly, intimately, and gets to see and understand more and more with each hour of attention. Bit by bit, these familiar spots turn out to be microcosms containing all the ingredients a painter could require.
The moral is this: it is not the place that is intrinsically interesting; it is the person looking at it. Wherever it is, it will part of the world; the laws of time and space will still apply. Then sun will rise and set, and so will the moon.
Gayford also includes Hockney's broader philosophies of life and art.
The message, though positive, is a tough one: 'The cause of death is birth'. But the pictures transmit the idea that idea through visual enjoyment or, to use an old-fashioned term, beauty.
DH: I think that there's a pleasure principle in art. Without it, art wouldn't be there. You can almost drain it away, but it still needs to be there. It's like in the theatre. Entertainment is a minimum requirement, not a maximum. Everything should be entertaining. You might go to higher levels, but you always need to accomplish that at least. The pleasure principle in art can't be denied; but that doesn't mean all art is easy and joyful.
This beautifully arranged book is primarily a visual (and generally sensual) pleasure, but the text is thought-provoking too and compliments the images well without descending into hagiography.
July 24, 2023
Spring Cannot be Cancelled is the second collaboration between art critic and historian Martin Gayford and artist David Hockney. This book focuses on the time that the authors spent during the first few months of the developing Corona-virus pandemic as it affected Europe in spring 2020. Their previous book together, A History of Pictures: From the Cave to the Computer Screen, took the form of a back-and-forth conversation between the two and their thoughts about the history of pictures, paintings, photographs, moving pictures and more. Readers who enjoyed this format will likely find a great deal to enjoy in this newest publication as well, as there are plenty of conversations between the two and more of the connections that the pair make between different artist’s work.
The difference between the two books is that where A History of Pictures had a broad scope and encompassed pictures and art making from a wide array of mediums through art history, Spring Cannot be Cancelled is very much concerned with the strange time that was spring 2020.
In 2018 Hockney decided to purchase a property in Normandy and that he would paint the arrival of Spring 2019. The move to the French countryside and the living and working environment that was created there proved to be a recipe for good living and productive art making. The time spent in the South of France painting the spring blossom and the approach of a new season proved so fruitful that Hockney decided to do the same thing the following year in 2020. Though he could not have predicted the developments and the changes that this spring would bring, Hockney was situated in an ideal circumstance to continue working and painting and carefully observing the shift in the landscape around him.
Like so many friendships Gayford and Hockney could no longer visit one another in person, so they turned to video calls to supplement their email communications. There is something rather gratifying reading that one of the world’s most recognisable artists was using Zoom and coping with spotty internet connections like the rest of us. But unlike so many of us, Hockey kept working, rising early in the morning to paint the sunrise, or waiting till nightfall to watch the supermoons that populated last year’s night skies.
Hockney has been working in digital formats, paining on an iPad for many years now and he discusses the advantages that has given him as an artist and how he can react quickly in responding to the changing landscape around him. Image, perception, and perspective are themes that have interested Hockney throughout his long career and he is still questioning these ideas now. The book is filled with his thoughts on the limitations of photography and how painting is to him a more accurate and effective form of depiction. His ideas about art and perception are peppered through the book and give food for thought in a world where many of us carry powerful cameras in our back pocket. How much do we truly see and perceive as we move about our lives? Do we look hard and really look at things properly?
The pace of this book is calm and contemplative and amongst the content around art and Hockney’s practice are reflections on how to live and what makes a fulfilling work life balance? This will surely chime with readers who have spent the past year contemplating this question and wondering what that might look like for ourselves when work and life have blurred.
Coupled with the conversational tone and the chance to visit Hockney’s converted farmhouse in the south of France, if only in the mind, made for a hugely enjoyable read. I personally enjoyed this book immensely and found myself purposefully slowing down so I could spend more time with it.
As readers have come to expect from a publisher like Thames and Hudson, the book is beautifully published and is a gorgeous volume to add to one’s shelves. Full colour reproduction images are printed to support the author’s conversations about art history and Hockney’s own work is reproduced and interspersed throughout, so readers can see the spring blossom and budding leaves unfurl for themselves.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough, it is a beautiful, gentle, and contemplative book that soothes the soul and lifts the spirits.
Thank you to Thames and Hudson for providing a review copy.
The difference between the two books is that where A History of Pictures had a broad scope and encompassed pictures and art making from a wide array of mediums through art history, Spring Cannot be Cancelled is very much concerned with the strange time that was spring 2020.
In 2018 Hockney decided to purchase a property in Normandy and that he would paint the arrival of Spring 2019. The move to the French countryside and the living and working environment that was created there proved to be a recipe for good living and productive art making. The time spent in the South of France painting the spring blossom and the approach of a new season proved so fruitful that Hockney decided to do the same thing the following year in 2020. Though he could not have predicted the developments and the changes that this spring would bring, Hockney was situated in an ideal circumstance to continue working and painting and carefully observing the shift in the landscape around him.
Like so many friendships Gayford and Hockney could no longer visit one another in person, so they turned to video calls to supplement their email communications. There is something rather gratifying reading that one of the world’s most recognisable artists was using Zoom and coping with spotty internet connections like the rest of us. But unlike so many of us, Hockey kept working, rising early in the morning to paint the sunrise, or waiting till nightfall to watch the supermoons that populated last year’s night skies.
Hockney has been working in digital formats, paining on an iPad for many years now and he discusses the advantages that has given him as an artist and how he can react quickly in responding to the changing landscape around him. Image, perception, and perspective are themes that have interested Hockney throughout his long career and he is still questioning these ideas now. The book is filled with his thoughts on the limitations of photography and how painting is to him a more accurate and effective form of depiction. His ideas about art and perception are peppered through the book and give food for thought in a world where many of us carry powerful cameras in our back pocket. How much do we truly see and perceive as we move about our lives? Do we look hard and really look at things properly?
The pace of this book is calm and contemplative and amongst the content around art and Hockney’s practice are reflections on how to live and what makes a fulfilling work life balance? This will surely chime with readers who have spent the past year contemplating this question and wondering what that might look like for ourselves when work and life have blurred.
Coupled with the conversational tone and the chance to visit Hockney’s converted farmhouse in the south of France, if only in the mind, made for a hugely enjoyable read. I personally enjoyed this book immensely and found myself purposefully slowing down so I could spend more time with it.
As readers have come to expect from a publisher like Thames and Hudson, the book is beautifully published and is a gorgeous volume to add to one’s shelves. Full colour reproduction images are printed to support the author’s conversations about art history and Hockney’s own work is reproduced and interspersed throughout, so readers can see the spring blossom and budding leaves unfurl for themselves.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough, it is a beautiful, gentle, and contemplative book that soothes the soul and lifts the spirits.
Thank you to Thames and Hudson for providing a review copy.
April 2, 2021
“Spring Cannot be Cancelled” is a joyous and uplifting manifesto that affirms art and nature’s capacity, to not only transform and inspire one isolated artist, living in Normandy’s life, but a whole society as well -especially one that is so presently disconnected from the world around them (shout out again, to that pesky Miss.Rona!)
This is a warm, calm and contemplative book that provides a plethora of interesting and insightful conversations between artist, David Hockney and his long time friend, collaborator and art critic, Martin Gayford.
Each chapter details their often humorous and enlightening exchanges. Where the two not only reflect on Hockney’s previous work, but the impact this extraordinarily long period of confinement -caused by the 2020 pandemic, has had on his current creative practices.
Which unsurprisingly, he absolutely relished in, and saw this form of self-isolation as an even greater opportunity to dedicate towards his many artistic endeavours!
But PLEASE, do not let Hockney’s “productiveness” put you off.
As an artist myself reading this, I know it’s so easy to fall into the trap of comparison. However, the way Hockney describes his approach to work and life is utterly infectious and truly inspiring.
As the book unfurls -much like the cherry blossom he paints, we see just how enamoured and enthusiastic he is by the minutiae of life; the variations of colour, light, space, water and of course, trees!
Not only is Hockney teaching us how to see, but he is showing us how to live. Reminding us to appreciate the seemingly small or insignificant moments and wonders, we so often pass by without giving much of a second thought.
“We have lost touch with nature, rather foolishly as we are a part of it, not outside it.”
Writing aside for a minute, another MAJOR aspect of this books appeal, is of course the fact that it’s B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L-L-Y illustrated.
Interspersed with not only Hockney’s own gloriously vibrant art, but the paintings, etchings and drawings of those he admires most and continually prove to be a great source of inspiration to him; Van Gogh, Hokusai, Picasso and many more!
(Though disappointingly not many female artists *cough cough*)
Overall, this is an immensely enjoyable and life-affirming book. And one that I would whole heartedly recommend to fellow artists and art enthusiasts alike!
5 stars
This is a warm, calm and contemplative book that provides a plethora of interesting and insightful conversations between artist, David Hockney and his long time friend, collaborator and art critic, Martin Gayford.
Each chapter details their often humorous and enlightening exchanges. Where the two not only reflect on Hockney’s previous work, but the impact this extraordinarily long period of confinement -caused by the 2020 pandemic, has had on his current creative practices.
Which unsurprisingly, he absolutely relished in, and saw this form of self-isolation as an even greater opportunity to dedicate towards his many artistic endeavours!
But PLEASE, do not let Hockney’s “productiveness” put you off.
As an artist myself reading this, I know it’s so easy to fall into the trap of comparison. However, the way Hockney describes his approach to work and life is utterly infectious and truly inspiring.
As the book unfurls -much like the cherry blossom he paints, we see just how enamoured and enthusiastic he is by the minutiae of life; the variations of colour, light, space, water and of course, trees!
Not only is Hockney teaching us how to see, but he is showing us how to live. Reminding us to appreciate the seemingly small or insignificant moments and wonders, we so often pass by without giving much of a second thought.
“We have lost touch with nature, rather foolishly as we are a part of it, not outside it.”
Writing aside for a minute, another MAJOR aspect of this books appeal, is of course the fact that it’s B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L-L-Y illustrated.
Interspersed with not only Hockney’s own gloriously vibrant art, but the paintings, etchings and drawings of those he admires most and continually prove to be a great source of inspiration to him; Van Gogh, Hokusai, Picasso and many more!
(Though disappointingly not many female artists *cough cough*)
Overall, this is an immensely enjoyable and life-affirming book. And one that I would whole heartedly recommend to fellow artists and art enthusiasts alike!
5 stars
November 18, 2021
Perfectly nice book with beautiful illustrations to accompany the exhibition at the Musée de l'Orangerie in Paris. While there are some nice nuggets of information in there, mostly it was just conversational-style babbling without real sustenance behind it. So it was nice, inoffensively so, and therefore also kind of boring.
December 2, 2023
So in love with this book ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
April 18, 2021
I think you would have to be very interested in Hockney and his art to get the most from this record of conversations between Hockney and Gayford about a relatively narrow range of topics inspired by Spring and Hockney’s new home in Normandy. I found this a charming and very interesting read . A review I read said that the reader felt slightly excluded from the world or conversations of the authors whereas I felt more like a privileged listener - not in the sense of an unwanted bystander straining to overhear conversations I wasn’t supposed to be privy to but more like an invited guest who wasn’t required or allowed to interrupt.
The illustrations were gorgeous and I thoroughly enjoyed the invite especially at this time of year
The illustrations were gorgeous and I thoroughly enjoyed the invite especially at this time of year
July 18, 2021
This may well be the best non-fiction book I read this year. I am a huge Hockney fan and was thrilled to see his latest exhibition to which the book provides interesting background. I really enjoy learning about how artists in all genres do their work and this book offers fascinating insights. It also provides a solid intellectual analysis of Hockney's work, making links to other artists whose work has influenced him, with excellent accompanying illustrations. It's written as a sort of interrupted conversation with Hockney's personal comments on his work interspersed with Martin Gayford's own valuable insights. Highly recommended.
April 5, 2022
This lovely volume of spring/summer joy is a collection of conversations, musings and observations between artist David Hockney and Martin Gayford before, during and after the pandemic lockdown of 2020.
It's a wonderfully joyful read, which is filled with Hockneys infectious excitement about the world around us, the simple pleasures of just looking at the world and finding art in the everyday. It's philosophical, historical and biographical without being too heavy on any one subject.
It's a wonderfully joyful read, which is filled with Hockneys infectious excitement about the world around us, the simple pleasures of just looking at the world and finding art in the everyday. It's philosophical, historical and biographical without being too heavy on any one subject.
January 31, 2023
Growing up in Yorkshire, I’ve been a fan of Hockney’s work since I was a child. This book has been such a great insight into his prolific life and work in Normandy. The fact that it was written through the lens of his friend (Martin Gayford) makes the book even more engaging - you feel as though you’re overhearing a conversation in public and you’ve got your fingers crossed that the subjects don’t walk out of earshot.
June 15, 2021
Ik heb het wel voor opaatjes die een beetje over kunst zitten te babbelen.
May 21, 2021
A pure joy to read.
Very refreshing and positive.
A great insight into the life and dedication of this great artist.
The art is really beautiful.
Very refreshing and positive.
A great insight into the life and dedication of this great artist.
The art is really beautiful.
May 22, 2022
En fantastisk följeslagare i Londonvåren. Har läst den på bänkar under blommande körsbärsträd, på gräsmattor, i parker, i min egen trädgård, på tåg, på caféer, på pubarna här vid Strand-on-the-Green och vid kusten i Kent.
Boken utspelar sig under den väldigt vackra och väldigt tragiska pandemivåren för två år sedan. Men då befann sig Hockney på sin gård i Normandie och målade obekymrat vidare på iPad:en.
Både Derek Jarman och John Cooper Clarke nämnde Hockney i sina resp. böcker och det var några av faktorerna som ledde fram till den här läsningen. Har egentligen aldrig intresserat mig särskilt mycket för hans ensamma, enkönade poolblå LA-världar, men såg 'A Bigger Splash', 70-talsfilmen, och kände - som Hockney själv erfar dagligen enligt boken - en "gust of enthusiasm". Sedan var det enkelt att ta sig till Tate Britain och en gång för alla närstudera målningen 'A Bigger Splash', vilket inte minskade entusiasmen.
Boken utspelar sig under den väldigt vackra och väldigt tragiska pandemivåren för två år sedan. Men då befann sig Hockney på sin gård i Normandie och målade obekymrat vidare på iPad:en.
Både Derek Jarman och John Cooper Clarke nämnde Hockney i sina resp. böcker och det var några av faktorerna som ledde fram till den här läsningen. Har egentligen aldrig intresserat mig särskilt mycket för hans ensamma, enkönade poolblå LA-världar, men såg 'A Bigger Splash', 70-talsfilmen, och kände - som Hockney själv erfar dagligen enligt boken - en "gust of enthusiasm". Sedan var det enkelt att ta sig till Tate Britain och en gång för alla närstudera målningen 'A Bigger Splash', vilket inte minskade entusiasmen.
August 22, 2021
(...)
The book is somewhat falsely advertised though: “It is based on a wealth of new conversations and correspondence between Hockney and art critic Martin Gayford, his long-time friend and collaborator. Their exchanges are illustrated by a selection of Hockney’s new, unpublished Normandy iPad drawings and paintings alongside works by van Gogh, Monet, Bruegel, and others.”
This gives the impression that the book consists mainly of “their exchanges”, but that’s not true at all. The book is mainly Martin Gayford’s musings and anecdotes about Hockney and art in general, indeed based on their Facetime talks and emails. I’d say the bulk of the text, about 80%, is Gayford’s prose, intersected with fragments of what Hockney said or wrote.
(...)
Not that it is fully without problems: the main issue being that Gayford isn’t critical at all, and I think the book would have benefited if he would have given a different viewpoint to some of Hockney’s statements – most notably about Duchamp and about photography. Another issue is its overall lightness: some parts border on the clichéd – panta rhei, true, but that isn’t very insightful. Gayford is at his best when he simply tries to describe Hockney’s work: “a seamless blend of the sophisticated and the straightforward.”
(...)
Full review on Weighing A Pig Doesn't Fatten It
The book is somewhat falsely advertised though: “It is based on a wealth of new conversations and correspondence between Hockney and art critic Martin Gayford, his long-time friend and collaborator. Their exchanges are illustrated by a selection of Hockney’s new, unpublished Normandy iPad drawings and paintings alongside works by van Gogh, Monet, Bruegel, and others.”
This gives the impression that the book consists mainly of “their exchanges”, but that’s not true at all. The book is mainly Martin Gayford’s musings and anecdotes about Hockney and art in general, indeed based on their Facetime talks and emails. I’d say the bulk of the text, about 80%, is Gayford’s prose, intersected with fragments of what Hockney said or wrote.
(...)
Not that it is fully without problems: the main issue being that Gayford isn’t critical at all, and I think the book would have benefited if he would have given a different viewpoint to some of Hockney’s statements – most notably about Duchamp and about photography. Another issue is its overall lightness: some parts border on the clichéd – panta rhei, true, but that isn’t very insightful. Gayford is at his best when he simply tries to describe Hockney’s work: “a seamless blend of the sophisticated and the straightforward.”
(...)
Full review on Weighing A Pig Doesn't Fatten It
July 10, 2022
I had the pleasure of seeing an exhibition of Hockney’s iPad work a while back so I was excited to read more about the process that goes into those in this book!
First of all, if you are able to, it’s definitely worth engaging with the physical version of this book. Everything about it feels incredibly intentional from the layout of the paintings, where the words are on the page and even the pages themselves are extremely high quality.
When it comes to the actual content of the book, I really enjoyed it. It takes a bit of a biography structure, intertwined with excerpts of conversation between Gayford and Hockney, along with some art history. Finding out a bit more about how Hockney works was fascinating and I was introduced to some fantastic works of art that I hadn’t yet experienced. This is definitely primarily a Gayford book with just a few snippets of Hockney’s actual words in so just be aware of that before you go into it.
I did feel this book was a little mis-advertised. When they spoke about the impact of the pandemic on the creative process, it was brilliant and very thought provoking, however it was a very small snippet of the book compared to how it was described. Overall, this was a lovely springtime book, perfect for relaxing outside in the sun with!
First of all, if you are able to, it’s definitely worth engaging with the physical version of this book. Everything about it feels incredibly intentional from the layout of the paintings, where the words are on the page and even the pages themselves are extremely high quality.
When it comes to the actual content of the book, I really enjoyed it. It takes a bit of a biography structure, intertwined with excerpts of conversation between Gayford and Hockney, along with some art history. Finding out a bit more about how Hockney works was fascinating and I was introduced to some fantastic works of art that I hadn’t yet experienced. This is definitely primarily a Gayford book with just a few snippets of Hockney’s actual words in so just be aware of that before you go into it.
I did feel this book was a little mis-advertised. When they spoke about the impact of the pandemic on the creative process, it was brilliant and very thought provoking, however it was a very small snippet of the book compared to how it was described. Overall, this was a lovely springtime book, perfect for relaxing outside in the sun with!
January 6, 2022
Un emocionante retrato de la vida de Hockney en Normandía, donde vive una vejez obsesionado con el dibujo de la naturaleza. A partir de ahí, Gayford hace un recuento crítico de distintos aspectos de la carrera del pintor y de otros, como Picasso, Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Monet, etc.
July 4, 2022
Opinion is divided about Hockney: is he too easy on the eye, too superficial? He is certainly a brilliant draughtsman and colourist but sometimes his paintings do border on the kitsch, and I remain ambivalent about his work on the iPad, some great but some slapdash. The striking thing about this book is how intelligent and thoughtful Hockney is. He has a huge knowledge of painting of all cultures through the ages, loves classical music, and reads the great novels and poetry. He is a very conscious painter whose hero is Picasso ( who I have also been ambivalent about but will now look at again). The book itself is curious, a seemingly slight reportage of emails from Hockney and occasional visits to his home in Normandy that somehow combines into a very revealing and readable text.
April 11, 2023
I wasn’t expecting to love this book as much as I did. Such a joy to read… and a remarkable 142 colour illustrations! Feel like I’ve learned a lot about Hockney and his artistic influences and ways of seeing - and it’s also enabled me to approach many well known works by other artists afresh. I’m going to feel a bit lost now that I’ve finished this book!
‘In this last remarkable couple of years, and especially during the strange seasons of pandemic and lockdown, he has managed to find more and more in less and less. […] he is teaching us a lesson not only in how to see, but also in how to live’.
‘In this last remarkable couple of years, and especially during the strange seasons of pandemic and lockdown, he has managed to find more and more in less and less. […] he is teaching us a lesson not only in how to see, but also in how to live’.
May 2, 2023
I have owned this book since it came out in 2021 but have only just gotten around to reading it. I love Hockney's Spring ipad paintings and I love Gayford's art writing. A great pairing. Right up my alley at the moment as I am drawing so many trees. Inspired to buy an ipad and to paint some gardens.
May 29, 2023
Prachtig boek, alles wat je ervan hoopt. Heel inspirerend.
"The more I look and think about it, the more I see. These simple little things are unbelievably rich. A lot of people have forgotten that. But you can remind them."
"The world is very, very beautiful if you look at it, but most people don't look very much, with an intensity, do they? I do."
"The more I look and think about it, the more I see. These simple little things are unbelievably rich. A lot of people have forgotten that. But you can remind them."
"The world is very, very beautiful if you look at it, but most people don't look very much, with an intensity, do they? I do."
June 16, 2021
Hockney is, indeed, very quotable. I like his outlook on things described here.
June 1, 2023
enjoyable to read over a few weeks
February 3, 2022
Celebration of spring in art during COVID lockdown.
January 5, 2023
Was zelf verrast hoe fijn ik het lezen van dit boek vond...
Best kan ik dit omschrijven met een quote uit het boek
A lesson not only in how to see but also in how to live...
Best kan ik dit omschrijven met een quote uit het boek
A lesson not only in how to see but also in how to live...
February 12, 2023
Over optimisme, passie en de nuchterheid van een divers en veelzijdig kunstenaar. Vol verwijzingen naar andere boeken en kunst. Een manier om de kijk op het leven een beetje verder uit te diepen.
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