David Hockney by David Hockney

A special, fiftieth-anniversary edition of David Hockney’s witty, candid and revealing account of his life and work.

David Hockney by David Hockney was first published in 1976 and grew out of twenty-five hours of recorded conversation with the artist. A carefully crafted, collaborative memoir, this special full-colour edition marks the fiftieth anniversary of the book’s first publication.

Hockney recounts his early years in Bradford, where he was born, grew up and first went to art school; his years at the Royal College of Art in London, during which he had his breakthrough; his sojourn in California, which inspired some of his best-known paintings, drawings and prints; and his subsequent phase in Paris, where an exhibition at the Louvre established him as a ‘continental master’.

The book’s fascination lies not only in the fact that the text is entirely Hockney’s own – so that his life-story is given full clarity – but also that it reproduces his paintings, graphic work and drawings. The story, presented more or less chronologically, is informative and humorous, full of descriptions of his work, anecdotes about himself, other artists and friends, his thoughts about art and his ambiguous relationship with other styles. Above all, it is the story of an artist who is ceaselessly striving to improve his craft and to portray the world around him imaginatively.

Review

'The most remarkable autobiographical work any artist, scientist or man of letters of his generation has written' - Times Literary Supplement

'Hockney tells us in a wonderfully straightforward way about what triggered off most of the paintings and many of the graphics reproduced in this book, and it’s so brilliant and clear an account of how his art becomes inextricably involved with life that it amounts to a genuine breakthrough in communication' - New Statesman

About the Author

David Hockney (1937–2026) was one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. He produced work in almost every medium – painting, drawing, stage design, photography and printmaking – and stretched the boundaries of them all. He created and exhibited art to the very end of his life, and inspired enormous affection and admiration worldwide. Hockney was awarded the Légion d’honneur by France in January 2026.