For a contemporary artist of serious aesthetic purpose, David Hockney enjoys immense public visibility. His personality, ideas about art, and inventiveness both of imagery and of techniques ranging from oil painting to photography to faxes are captured by Peter Clothier in this concise but comprehensive overview. 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. Invention, the driving force behind Hockney's art, is in good part play. This color-rich volume conveys Hockney's serious delight in making art that gives pleasure to both its creator and its audience.