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A Yorkshire Sketchbook by David Hockney
A facsimile sketchbook from one of Britain's most celebrated artists In recent years renowned artist David Hockney has returned to England to paint the landscape of his childhood in East Yorkshire. Although his passionate interest in new technologies has led him to develop a virtuosic drawing technique on the iPad, he has also traveled outdoors with a traditional sketchbook, an invaluable tool as he works quickly to capture the changing light and fleeting effects of the weather. Executed in watercolor and ink, these panoramic scenes have the spatial complexity of finished paintings--the broad sweep of sky or road, the patchwork tapestry of land--yet convey the immediacy of Hockney's impressions. For those who know the East Yorkshire Wolds, the location of the sketches is unmistakable; for those who don't, its features will come to life in these pages.
- GenresArtNonfiction
Unknown Binding
First published December 19, 2011
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About the author
David Hockney
206 books142 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 - 10 of 10 reviews
June 7, 2019
Really liked the orientation of this book (landscape) and how each page spread contains soley the sketches with no extra text that gets in the way of the drawings. Felt like I was flipping through his actual sketchbook!
July 19, 2018
Great sketches, but a short essay - saying smth about the artist's thoughts and ideas - would have made the book even better.
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March 30, 2020A simply beautiful collection of observations and mark-making. Made in Yorkshire.
July 4, 2020
Some lovely illustrations, I would have loved some little captions or more information about the drawings
January 2, 2023
not really "read", there is no text - only pages and pages of inspiration to enjoy again and again.
February 19, 2023
I don’t think I read the book but I sure enjoyed it.
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March 5, 2024Its just ilustrations and they aren't the best but they have something that makes them feel familiar (?)
July 3, 2025
Feels so effortlessly precise...
January 18, 2016
You won't get any less than the title promises: you'll get wonderful David Hockney sketches of the Yorkshire countryside. Many of these sketches beautifully communicates the structure of trees and shrubs, the mood of the sky, the textures of weeds, and the lay of the land. There are also a few sketches from town and of interiors, also capably evoking these scenes. This is also the complete sketchbook except for a few pages, with a number of missed attempts expressing the vulnerability of the process.
You won't get any more than the title promises: this book is a sketchbook of the Yorkshire region from April of 2004. This book contains no writing to frame the work outside of the dust jacket and a single sentence at the end of the book. In order to fully appreciate this book, I think other context is needed, such as this talk of Lawrence Weschler: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyzsY...
Even without this context, the book is still a charming object of a convenient size, suitable for starting further explorations into David Hockney or serving as a supplement.
You won't get any more than the title promises: this book is a sketchbook of the Yorkshire region from April of 2004. This book contains no writing to frame the work outside of the dust jacket and a single sentence at the end of the book. In order to fully appreciate this book, I think other context is needed, such as this talk of Lawrence Weschler: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyzsY...
Even without this context, the book is still a charming object of a convenient size, suitable for starting further explorations into David Hockney or serving as a supplement.
Read
August 15, 2016759.2 H685y 2012
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews