Back to: Lithographic pool series
David Hockney's Thick and Thin Lines, a Green Wash, a Light Blue Wash and a Dark Blue Wash form part of his acclaimed Lithograph of Water Made of Lines series, created between 1978 and 1980 in collaboration with master printer Kenneth Tyler at Tyler Graphics, New York. Published in an edition of 80, the lithograph combines expressive line work with translucent green and blue washes to recreate the constantly shifting appearance of light across the surface of a swimming pool. By layering colour and varying the weight of individual marks, Hockney transforms an ordinary pool scene into a sophisticated study of movement, transparency and perception.
Throughout the Lithograph of Water Made of Lines series, Hockney explored one of the most complex challenges in art: depicting water, a subject that has no permanent shape or colour. In this composition, the interplay between thick and thin lines and multiple washes creates an illusion of depth, reflections and rippling water without relying on traditional realism. Produced by Tyler Graphics in Bedford, New York, the work exemplifies Hockney's continual experimentation with printmaking techniques and his enduring fascination with swimming pools, light and the ever-changing nature of visual experience.
