Pool on Cloudy Day (Paper Pool 21): Paper Pool print by David Hockney

  • Pool on a Cloudy Day (Paper Pool 21), 1978, David Hockney work

    Pool on a Cloudy Day (Paper Pool 21), 1978

    Coloured and pressed paper pulp, 72 x 85.5. in

    Unique work

    ©David Hockney

    Back to: Paper pools

     

    Pool on a Cloudy Day, Paper Pool 21 presents one of David Hockney's most restrained interpretations of the swimming pool motif. Created in coloured, pressed paper pulp, the composition is viewed from the end of a bright white diving board, leading the eye towards the still water and the geometric form of the pool. Rather than relying on dramatic reflections or bright Californian sunshine, Hockney uses a cool palette of blues, purples and greens to create a calm, contemplative atmosphere, demonstrating how changing weather conditions can transform an otherwise familiar scene.

     

    Created in collaboration with Kenneth Tyler at Tyler Graphics, Pool on a Cloudy Day, Paper Pool 21 reflects Hockney's fascination with colour, perspective and the changing qualities of light. The handmade paper pulp technique gives the surface a subtle texture and depth that enhances the quiet luminosity of the water. Widely regarded as a unique work, it exemplifies Hockney's ability to find beauty in simplicity while continuing to push the creative possibilities of contemporary papermaking

  • "It is an interesting formal problem; it is 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

    Water remained one of David Hockney's most enduring artistic challenges because it constantly changes depending on light, weather and viewpoint. Unlike solid objects, water has no fixed appearance, making it an ideal subject for Hockney's lifelong investigations into perception. Across his paintings, prints and paper works, he explored how reflections, transparency and movement could alter what the eye sees, often depicting the same motif in different conditions to reveal its ever-changing character. This fascination with observation and visual experience became a defining feature of Hockney's work and is especially evident throughout the Paper Pools series.