Pool on a cloudy day with rain (Paper Pool 22): Paper Pool print by David Hockney

  • Pool on a Cloudy Day with Rain (Paper Pool 22), 1978, unqiue work by David Hockney

    Pool on a Cloudy Day with Rain (Paper Pool 22), 1978

    Coloured and pressed paper pulp, 72 x 85.5 in

    Unique Work 

    ©David Hockney

    Back to: Paper Pool

     

    Pool on a Cloudy Day with Rain, Paper Pool 22 captures David Hockney's fascination with the changing appearance of water under different weather conditions. Created in coloured, pressed paper pulp, the composition presents a tranquil swimming pool viewed from the end of a white diving board, while soft variations in tone suggest rainfall disturbing the otherwise calm surface. The muted palette of blues, greens and lilacs creates a subdued atmosphere, demonstrating Hockney's ability to evoke mood through subtle shifts in colour rather than dramatic contrasts.

     

    Created in collaboration with Kenneth Tyler at Tyler Graphics, Pool on a Cloudy Day with Rain, Paper Pool 22 showcases Hockney's innovative use of handmade paper to explore light, texture and perception. The layered paper pulp produces a softly mottled surface that reflects the effects of rain and diffused light, giving the water a quiet sense of movement. Widely regarded as a unique work, it highlights Hockney's continued experimentation with both subject matter and technique, expanding the expressive possibilities of the Paper Pools series.

  • "I kept looking at the swimming pool… it is a wonderful subject – water, the light on the water… every time you see it, it takes on a different character."

     

    - David Hockney

    David Hockney regarded the Paper Pools as an opportunity to rethink what paper could become as an artistic medium. Rather than applying colour to the surface, he incorporated pigments directly into the handmade paper, allowing texture, depth and colour to form simultaneously. This innovative process produced richly tactile works that blur the boundaries between printmaking, painting and sculpture, reflecting Hockney's lifelong interest in experimenting with new materials and expanding the possibilities of contemporary art.