BOOK:A History of Pictures,Thames & Hudson Publibations

The problem facing all picture-makers is, however, the same: how to compress three-dimensional people, things and places onto a flat surface? In the new book “A History of Pictures: From the Cave to the Computer Screen” by Thames & Hudson Publibations, David Hockney, who has produced work in almost every medium, and Gayford, an art critic and author of acclaimed books, juxtapose a rich variety of images ranging from a Disney cartoon to a painting by Velasquez in their exploration of how and why pictures have been made across the millennia. Exploring how and why pictures have been made. What makes marks on a flat surface interesting? How do you show movement in a still picture, and how do films and television connect with old masters? What are the ways in which time and space can be condensed into a static image? What do pictures show – truth or lies? Do photographs present the world as we experience it? The history of pictures, Hockney says, “Begins in the caves and ends, at the moment, with an iPad”. Hockney and Gayford trace the history in a conversation, similar to the one in their 2011 book, “A Bigger Message.” Again the British artist proves as innovative in thought as he is on canvas. And Gayford, art critic for the Spectator, is a gentle guide, steering the conversation through a thematic tour of the world’s images, some classics but most little-known.–Efi Michalarou