Schwimmbad Mitternacht (Paper Pools 11): Paper Pool work by David Hockney 1978

  • Schwimmbad Mitternacht (Paper Pool 11), 1978, David Hockney unique paper pulp work

    Schwimmbad Mitternacht (Paper Pool 11), 1978

    Coloured and pressed paper pulp, 72.5 x 85.5

    Unique work

    ©David Hockeny

    BACK TO: Paper Pools

     

    David Hockney's Schwimmbad Mitternacht (Paper Pool 11) , 1978, continues the artist's exploration of swimming pools after dark, presenting a quieter and more atmospheric interpretation of one of his most recognisable subjects. Executed in coloured, pressed paper pulp, the composition replaces the bright colours of Hockney's daytime pool scenes with a restrained palette of blues, teals and greens. The subdued tones create an almost ethereal quality, while the soft transitions between colour evoke the calm stillness of water illuminated at night.

     

    Created in collaboration with Kenneth Tyler at Tyler Graphics, Schwimmbad Mitternacht (Paper Pool 11) demonstrates David Hockney's continued experimentation with coloured, pressed paper pulp as a medium. The layered paper fibres create subtle texture and depth, allowing Hockney to explore the changing effects of light, shadow and reflection in a way that conventional printmaking could not achieve. Widely regarded as a unique work, Schwimmbad Mitternacht (Paper Pool 11) expands the visual language of the Paper Pools series while highlighting Hockney's enduring fascination with colour, atmosphere and innovative artistic techniques.

  • " If the water surface is almost still and there is a strong sun, then dancing lines with the colours of the spectrum appear everywhere."

     

    - David Hockney

    To create the Paper Pools series, David Hockney worked closely with Kenneth Tyler and the papermakers at Tyler Graphics, where coloured paper pulp was prepared and poured by hand into custom moulds. Individual areas of colour were built up layer by layer using wet paper fibres rather than printed inks, allowing each composition to develop as the paper itself was formed. Once the coloured pulp had been carefully arranged, the sheet was pressed to remove excess water before drying, producing richly textured surfaces with remarkable depth and colour saturation.