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David Hockney's Swimming Pool with Reflection (Paper Pool 5) , 1978 focuses on one of the defining subjects from the celebrated Paper Pools series, shifting the focus almost entirely to the swimming pool itself. Executed in coloured, pressed paper pulp, the composition centres on Hockney's iconic Californian pool motif, with a bright yellow diving board extending across the foreground. Behind it, a vibrant green hedge and strip of lawn frame the scene, while the pool occupies the majority of the composition. Layers of light and dark blue paper pulp create the shimmering movement of the water, capturing the changing reflections and rippling surface that fascinated Hockney throughout his career. Through its simplified forms and bold palette, the work demonstrates the artist's ability to transform an everyday swimming pool into a striking study of light, colour and geometry.
Created in collaboration with Kenneth Tyler at Tyler Graphics, Swimming Pool with Reflection (Paper Pool 5) exemplifies David Hockney's pioneering experimentation with coloured, pressed paper pulp during the late 1970s. Rather than applying ink to paper, Hockney constructed the image from coloured paper fibres, producing richly textured surfaces that give the water a remarkable sense of depth and movement. Unlike some other works in the Paper Pools series, the total number of unique variants of Swimming Pool with Reflection (Paper Pool 5) has not been conclusively documented, making its production history less well understood. Nevertheless, the work remains one of the most recognisable examples from the series and highlights Hockney's continued exploration of the swimming pool as one of the defining subjects of his artistic career.
