“I’ve always been a looker … that’s what artists do.”
This anthology of quotations by the artist David Hockney follows in the successful format of The World According to series. Ranging across topics including drawing, photography, nature, creativity, the Internet, and much more, The World According to David Hockney offers a delightful and engaging overview of the artist’s inimitable spirit, personality, and opinions.
From everyday observations—“The eye is always moving; if it isn’t moving you are dead”—to artistic insights such as “painted color always will be better than printed color, because it is the pigment itself,” as well as musings on other image makers, including Caravaggio, Paul Cézanne, and Walt Disney, David Hockney has a knack for capturing profound truths in pithy statements.
Born in Bradford, England, in 1937, Hockney attended art school in London before moving to Los Angeles in the 1960s. There, he painted his famous swimming pool paintings, and since then has embraced a range of media, including photocollage, video, and digital technologies. In a 2011 poll of more than one thousand British artists, Hockney was voted the most influential British artist of all time.
Presented as a beautifully designed and attractive package, illustrated with works of art from throughout Hockney’s career, this is the perfect gift for art lovers everywhere.
Reviews
Filled with color-rich artworks from throughout his prolific career, the book of quotations shares [David Hockney's] personal insights on drawing, creativity, the Internet, and more—delivered with both classic British wit as well as a creative genius's unique perspective. Readers will find themselves turning to the book again and again; each time, finding a new thought to ponder on topics as diverse as painting swimming pools to Walt Disney.
— Galerie
A delightful anthology of the British artist's pithy observations on life, art, artists, nature, creativity, technology, photography and more—all interspersed with works of art created throughout his legendary and admirable career … [A] little gem of a book … the perfect gift or coffee table book for artists and art lovers everywhere.
— Artists Magazine
This surprisingly wordy art book offers insight into the philosophy and life of British artist David Hockney, who shares his innermost thoughts and discusses how he was inspired by icons like Paul Cézanne and Walt Disney, as well as his contemporaries in the arts.
— Observer
Contributors
David Hockney
Author
David Hockney is one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century. He has produced work in almost every medium—painting, drawing, stage design, photography, and printmaking—and has stretched the boundaries of them all. He continues to create and exhibit art, and to inspire enormous affection and admiration worldwide, in recognition of which he was awarded the Légion d’honneur by France in January 2026.
Martin Gayford
Edited By
Martin Gayford is a writer and art critic. He is the author of acclaimed books on Van Gogh, Constable, and Michelangelo. His books include A Bigger Message: Conversations with David Hockney, How Painting Happens (and why it matters), The World According to David Hockney, Venice: City of Pictures, and Love Lucian: The Letters of Lucian Freud, 1939–1954, among others.
