From his theatrical early canvases to his more recent photographic collages and operatic set designs, Hockney has tackled the challenge of space on a grand scale. At the same time, much of his work has been devoted to the things most dear to him-friends, family, home, and studio. An intellectual of wide-ranging erudition and a world traveller who makes his home in Hollywood, he still cherishes his roots in Bradford, the northern British town where he was born in 1937.

Invention, the driving force behind Hockney's art, is in good part play: "If art isn't playful," he once commented, "it's nothing." This illuminating, colour-rich volume conveys with vivid clarity Hockney's serious delight in making art that gives pleasure to both its creator and its audience.
About the Modern Masters series:
With informative, enjoyable texts and over 100 illustrations - approximately 48 in full colour - this innovative series offers a fresh look at the most creative and influential artists of the postwar era. The authors are highly respected art historians and critics chosen for their ability to think clearly and write well. Each handsomely designed volume presents a thorough survey of the artist's life and work, as well as statements by the artist, an illustrated chapter on technique, a chronology, lists of exhibitions and public collections, an annotated bibliography, and an index. Every art lover, from the casual museumgoer to the serious student, teacher, critic, or curator, will be eager to collect these Modern Masters. And with such a low price, they can afford to collect them all.

Peter Clothier -- like Hockney a British expatriate living in Southern California -- is a novelist, art critic, and lecturer. His previous writings include two novels -- Dirty-Down and Chiaroscuro -- plus two books of poetry and numerous articles and art reviews.