Hockney’s best friends

Associated media

Hockney’s Dog Days

By David Hockney

‘I make no apologies for the apparent subject matter.  These two dear little creatures are my friends’ writes David Hockney in the book’s short introduction.

Hockney, who has achieved something of ‘national treasure’ status in recent years, has never tired of depicting the world around him: his homes, friends and lovers, Californian landscapes and, more recently, the trees of his native Yorkshire have all provided him with subject matter.  In 1998, Hockney fans became acquainted with two new figures from the rich tapestry of characters that form the backdrop to Hockney’s art, namely his dachshunds Stanley and Boodgie, when the first edition of this book appeared in hardback.  Since then, the artist has turned his attention to new subject matter, but the publication of the paperback version of the book, shortly before the opening of the Royal Academy’s huge David Hockney exhibition in January 2012, is a timely reminder of the breadth and versatility of this popular artist.

David Hockney has always been ingenious in finding the most expedient ways of observing and catching his subject matter at the right moment.  He explains in the introduction to the book, that in order to draw his dogs, he left large sheets of paper all over his house and studio in order to catch them sitting or sleeping without disturbing them.  He also had canvases and a fresh palette ready for the same reason.  The result is a large number of charming and endearing pictures of the dogs, which reveal the artist’s skilful observation and ability to work fast, as well as his obvious affection for his dogs.

Those David Hockney fans and dog lovers who missed the hardback edition of David Hockney’s Dog Days when it appeard in 1998, will surely be delighted by the opportunity to acquire this slim and glossy paperback edition.  The book contains almost all Hockney’s paintings and drawings of his two beloved dachshunds, Stanley and Boodgie, carried out between September 1993 and 1998.

David Hockney’s Dog Daysis published by Thames & Hudson in October 2011. 84 illus, 67 in colour. Paperback