Back to: Lithographic Water series
David Hockney's Lithographic Water Made of Lines, Crayon, and a Blue Wash is part of his celebrated Lithograph of Water Made of Lines series, produced between 1978 and 1980 in collaboration with master printer Kenneth Tyler at Tyler Graphics, New York. Printed in colours on TGL handmade paper and published in an edition of 48 plus 14 artist's proofs, the lithograph demonstrates Hockney's innovative approach to representing water through printmaking. Combining expressive linear mark-making, crayon and a single blue wash, the composition captures the shimmering movement and transparency of a swimming pool while reducing the scene to its essential visual elements.
Rather than depicting water through conventional realism, Hockney constructs its surface using a network of intersecting lines layered beneath subtle tonal washes, allowing the viewer to experience the constantly shifting effects of light and reflection. The restrained colour palette emphasises depth, texture and atmosphere, highlighting Hockney's fascination with perception and the challenge of portraying a subject with no fixed appearance. Today, the Lithograph of Water Made of Lines series is recognised as one of the defining achievements of Hockney's printmaking career and a landmark in contemporary lithography.
