In the summer of 1978, David Hockney worked for 6 weeks at Tyler Graphics run by the master printer Kenneth Tyler. He discovered paper pulp and was so excited by this new medium that he came back to the subject of pools that he had not touched for years. Just like Matisse discovered a new way of creating with the paper cuts. Hockney’ was struck by how much water was involved in the process of paper pulp and said “I love new mediums (..). I think mediums can (…) excite you: they always let you do something in a different way, even if you take the same subject.” This series will mark a new development for the artist.

Kenneth Tyler, worked with the best artists of his day with the motto that “great prints are made only by great artists”.

Andy Warhol who took the photo of David Hockney, teases him about it.

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Sources:

Marco Livingstone, David Hockney: Paper Pools, Arsty

Reaching out — Ken Tyler, master printer (Avery Tirce productions 1976).

David Hockney: The Biography, 1975-2012 By Christopher Simon Sykes

David watery process, 2020, Acrylic on canvas, 14" x 11" (36 x 28 cm)