Pool with reflection and still water (Paper Pool 9): Unique Paper Pulp work by David Hockney

  • Pool with Reflection and Still Water (Paper Pool 9), 1978, unique work by David Hockney

    Pool with Reflection and Still Water (Paper Pool 9), 1978

    Coloured and Pressed Paper Pulp, 72 x 85.5 in

    Unique Work

    ©David Hockney

    Back to: Paper Pools

     

    David Hockney's Pool with Reflection and Still Water (Paper Pool 9), 1978 explores one of the artist's enduring themes: the changing appearance of water under different conditions of light. Executed in coloured, pressed paper pulp, the composition depicts a tranquil swimming pool with an unusually calm surface, creating the impression of still water rather than the rippling reflections seen in many of Hockney's other pool works. A bright yellow diving board projects into the foreground, while the pool itself is rendered in rich blues that emphasise its depth and clarity. Dark reflections of the surrounding trees stretch across the upper section of the water, framed by bands of green lawn that reinforce the composition's strong geometric structure.

     

    Created in collaboration with Kenneth Tyler at Tyler Graphics, Pool with Reflection and Still Water (Paper Pool 9) demonstrates David Hockney's innovative use of coloured, pressed paper pulp to capture subtle variations in light, reflection and surface texture. By constructing the image from coloured paper fibres rather than traditional printing inks, Hockney achieved a tactile quality that enhances the stillness of the water while preserving the luminous colour palette that defines the Paper Pools series.

  • "Water in swimming pools changes its look more than in any other form its colour can be man-made and its dancing rhythms reflect not only the sky but, because of its transparency, the depth of the water as well." 

     

    - David Hockney

    David Hockney's collaboration with Kenneth Tyler marked one of the most innovative periods of his printmaking career. Beginning in the 1970s at Tyler Graphics in New York, the partnership encouraged Hockney to move beyond traditional printmaking techniques and experiment with new materials and processes. Working alongside Tyler and his specialist team, Hockney explored lithography, handmade paper and coloured, pressed paper pulp, resulting in groundbreaking series such as Paper Pools. Their collaboration helped redefine the possibilities of contemporary printmaking and remains one of the most significant artist-printer partnerships of the twentieth century.