A Closer Look At David Hockney’s Swimming Pool Lithograph Of Water (1980)

In the warehouse today, print specialist Grace Brown takes a closer look at David Hockney’s Lithograph Of Water Made Of Thick And Thin Lines, A Green Wash, A Light Blue Wash And A Dark Blue Wash (1980).

Published in an edition of 80, with 18 artist proofs, the print belongs to a series of lithographs that return to a single composition: a diving board stretching out across an expanse of water. Hockney’s swimming pools are often associated with his time in sunny California, but this series was created with master printer Ken Tyler at Tyler Graphics in New York.

Grace highlights Hockney’s sensitive mark-making and layered washes, which capture the grid-like structure of the pool beneath the fluid movement of the water above.