David Hockney - Pool Made with Paper and Blue Ink for Book

David Hockney

Pool Made with Paper and Blue Ink for Book (1980)

Lithograph in blue ink on Arches mould‑made paper

Sheet size: 27 x 23cm (10.4 x 9in)

Pool Made with Paper and Blue Ink for Book is one of David Hockney’s most elegant and distilled explorations of the swimming‑pool motif — an image that has become synonymous with his Californian period. Created in 1980 as part of the deluxe edition of the artist’s autobiography Paper Pools, the lithograph captures the shimmering surface of a pool using only blue ink and the textured grain of the paper itself.

The work demonstrates Hockney’s mastery of reduction: with minimal means, he evokes light, depth, and movement. The rippling lines suggest the play of sunlight across water, while the simplicity of the composition emphasises the serenity and clarity that define his pool imagery. Unlike the vibrant, multi‑layered Paper Pools made with coloured pulp, this lithograph offers a quieter, more contemplative counterpart — a study in rhythm, line, and the expressive potential of a single colour.