The story of David Hockney, one of the most widely acclaimed of all living artists, is one of passion: passion for seeing, passion for telling, passion for images. But to these should be added the passion of life. Hockney's art is a celebration of what it is to be alive. All his pictures -sometimes tender, as when he draws close friends and family; sometimes playful, as in his paintings of lazy,carefree days at the pool; sometimes awe-inspiring, as with his monumental images of the Grand Canyon -convey what it means to be in the world, to see it, to move in it, to love it. This constant exploration of how to communicate such feelings through art emerges with particular clarity in this stunning, lively volume, which charts almost fifty years of extraordinary creativity.