Oversized Pool (Paper Pool 23): Paper Pool work by David Hockney

  • Oversized Pool (Paper Pool 23), 1978, Paper pool work by David Hockney

    Oversized Pool (Paper Pool 23), 1978

    Coloured and pressed paper pulp, 82 x 92 in

    Unique work

    ©David Hockney

    Back to: Paper Pool

     

    David Hockney's Oversized Pool, Paper Pool 23, 1978 builds upon the visual language established throughout the Paper Pools series while amplifying its scale and impact. Created in coloured, pressed paper pulp in collaboration with Kenneth Tyler at Tyler Graphics, the composition presents a swimming pool viewed from the end of a diving board, with richly textured blue water occupying almost the entire surface. Unlike earlier works that balance the pool with surrounding landscape or figures, Oversized Pool is dominated by water itself, drawing the viewer's attention to the constantly shifting patterns of light and reflection that fascinated Hockney throughout his career.

     

    The enlarged format allows Hockney to explore the tactile qualities of handmade paper on an even greater scale. Variations in the paper pulp create a shimmering, almost sculptural surface that echoes the movement of sunlight across water, while the simplified geometry of the pool contrasts with the organic, irregular texture beneath. Widely regarded as a unique work, Oversized Pool, Paper Pool 23 demonstrates Hockney's continued experimentation with perception, colour and material, pushing the boundaries between printmaking, papermaking and painting while reinforcing the swimming pool as one of his most enduring artistic motifs.

     

  • "It wasn't the pool itself that interested me; it was the water and the transparency. I realized that the dancing lines are on the surface, they're not underneath it."

     

    - David Hockney

    Water remained one of David Hockney's most enduring artistic subjects because its appearance is never fixed. In Oversized Pool, Paper Pool 23, the enlarged composition allows him to devote even greater attention to the shimmering patterns of reflected light and subtle variations in colour across the pool's surface. The textured paper pulp enhances this effect, giving the water a sense of movement and depth while demonstrating Hockney's lifelong fascination with perception and the challenge of representing something that is constantly changing.