David Hockney's Lithographic Water Series: 1978-1980

  • BACK TO: POOL PRINTS David Hockney's Lithographic Water is a series of eleven lithographic prints created between 1978 and 1980...

    Lithograph of Water Made of Thick and Thin Lines and a Light Blue and a Dark Blue Wash, 1980
    Lithograph in colours on TGL handmade paper, signed and dated '1978-80' in pencil

    Edition of 34 (plus ten artist's proofs), published by Tyler Graphics, Ltd
    Image 50.5 x 69 cm, Sheet 64.2 x 85 cm.

    ©David Hockney

    BACK TO: POOL PRINTS

     

    David Hockney's Lithographic Water is a series of eleven lithographic prints created between 1978 and 1980 that explores the changing appearance of light and water in a California swimming pool. Produced with master printer Kenneth Tyler at Tyler Graphics, the series forms one of Hockney's most important investigations into printmaking, using subtle variations in line, colour and lithographic technique to capture the constantly shifting surface of water.

     

    Building on the swimming pool imagery that became synonymous with Hockney's work after his move to Los Angeles in the 1960s, Lithographic Water demonstrates the artist's fascination with depicting movement, reflection and transparency through print. Rather than presenting eleven identical impressions, the series uses a single composition to examine how small changes in mark-making and colour alter the viewer's perception of water, making it one of Hockney's most technically accomplished and influential bodies of graphic work.

     

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  • "It's a formal problem to represent water, to describe water, because it can be anything. It can be any colour, and it has no set visual description'

    - David Hockney

     

    Unlike many of Hockney's print series, Lithographic Water does not tell a narrative or depict multiple subjects. Instead, the series focuses on a single swimming pool viewed from above, allowing Hockney to investigate how light, reflection and movement continually transform the appearance of water. Created from a single aluminium lithographic plate, the prints vary through subtle changes in colour, line and tonal washes, demonstrating how even minor adjustments can alter the viewer's perception of the same scene. The series reflects Hockney's longstanding fascination with California swimming pools, while highlighting his belief that no two moments of looking at water are ever identical. 

  • More on Lithographs of Water series:

    "I always loved swimming pools, all the wiggly lines they make... If you photograph them, it freezes them whereas if you use paint [or print], you can have wiggly lines that wiggle."

     

    - David Hockney

    Artist: David Hockney
    Series: Lithographic Water
    Date: 1978–1980
    Medium: Lithographs in colours
    Printer: Tyler Graphics Ltd
    Subject: A cropped view of a Californian swimming pool, focusing on the movement, transparency and reflection of water
    Series overview: Lithographic Water is a series of eleven prints in which David Hockney explores the changing appearance of water through variations in line, colour and tonal wash. Using the same swimming pool composition throughout the series, Hockney examines how light, reflection and movement continually alter the surface of the water.
    Artwork type: Lithographic print series
    Availability: Contact Geist for current pricing and availability

  • Where Can I Buy Lithographs of Water by David Hockney?

    If you are looking to buy a David Hockney Lithographic Water print, you can purchase one through specialist galleries, auction houses or private dealers such as Geist. 

    Where Can I Sell Lithographs of Water by David Hockney?

    If you are looking to sell a David Hockney Lithographic Water print, you can do so through private sale or auction house. At Geist, we provide confidential valuations and can help connect sellers with qualified collectors worldwide.

    How Much Is a David Hockney Lithograph of Water Worth?

    The value of a David Hockney Lithographic Water print depends on factors including the individual work, edition, condition, provenance and current market demand. We provide independent valuations based on recent public and private market activity.