David Hicks: A Life of Design
by Ashley Hicks
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Book Summary Information
Author: Ashley HicksEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2009-10-20
ISBN: 0847833305
Number of pages: 304
Publisher: Rizzoli
Book Reviews of David Hicks: A Life of Design
Book Review: David Hicks, Artist
Summary: 5 Stars
David Hicks (1929 - 1998) may be one of the most celebrated British designers of the last century. Indeed at the time of his death the press described his 'relentlessly organized, color-clashing home interiors as the acme of jet-set chic in the 1960's, known for his love of graphic color combinations as well as for a temperament that veered between disarming charm and apoplectic rage. Mr. Hicks was the most famous decorator of his day. Late in life he became celebrated for designing geometrically precise gardens.' All of this is documented in this rather hefty book written by his son Ashley Hicks and the history of Hicks' life and career are supplemented with countless full color photographs of his best rooms and homes and gardens.
What is immediately appealing about the design of David Hicks is his intensely creative placement of objets d'art in perfect alignment with the chosen colors of his walls and the configuration of his rooms. There is a wild assortment of bits of stone statues, geometric forms of all types, works of art in the form of paintings or drawings, and substantial reliquaries for the placement of either bits of found work or branches or flowers. He juxtaposed colors form all the wrong portions of the color wheel to an effect that is at first jarring and then with repeated viewing perfectly balanced with the space he designed. His eye discovered art in a new way and he elected to share art by focusing his interiors (and exterior gardens) with contrasting elements that made each work seem even more important. David Hicks managed to walk that tightrope between art and design and did so with aplomb. Another fascinating book from Rizzoli. Grady Harp, April 10
Summary of David Hicks: A Life of Design
David Hicks is acknowledged as one of the most important interior designers of the late twentieth century, in the company of Albert Hadley and Billy Baldwin. Known for his bold use of color, eclecticism, and geometric designs in carpets and textiles, Hicks turned English decorating on its head in the ?50s and ?60s. His trademark use of electrifying color combinations, and mixing antiques, modern furniture, and abstract paintings became the "in style" for the chic of the day, including Vidal Sassoon and Helena Rubinstein. By the ?70s, David Hicks was a brand; his company was making wallpaper, fabrics, and linens and had outposts in eight countries, including the U.S. where he worked with the young Mark Hampton, and where his wallpaper was used in the White House. "My greatest contribution as an interior designer has been to show people how to use bold color mixtures, how to use patterned carpets, how to light rooms, and how to mix old with new,?? he stated in his 1968 work, David Hicks on Living?with Taste, the last authoritative book on his work. Written by his son Ashley Hicks, who has unprecedented access to Hicks?s archives, personal photos, journals, and scrapbooks, this is a vibrantly illustrated celebration of a half century of stunning interiors.Arts & Photography Books
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