Martin Gayford

Art critic Martin Gayford talks about his collaboration with the artist David Hockney on their new book, A History of Pictures: From the Cave to the Computer Screen.

Gayford and Hockney have explored how and why pictures have been made over thousands of years. They ask 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 the old masters? Do pictures lie or do they tell the truth, and do photographs present a true image of the world as we experience it? The authors cross the boundaries between popular entertainment and high culture and argue that film, photography, painting and drawing are deeply connected.

Gayford is art critic for The Spectator and author of books on Van Gogh, Constable and Michelangelo. He also collaborated with Hockney on A Bigger Message: Conversations with David Hockney.