Good afternoon all!
Throughout 2020, we provided many exciting opportunities (which you most certainly took!) to own an artwork by one of the most prolific printmakers of the 20th and 21st centuries: David Hockney.
Hockney’s love affair with printmaking is matched only by our adoration of the resulting prints! And we are not alone; the market for the artist's print work is extremely strong, with exceptional demand for works across his varied output.
From Hockney’s years at The Royal Academy, to his recent iPad drawings, he consistently returns to printmaking. He has mastered the various technologies that exist within the umbrella category of printmaking. Etching blocks enabled him to produce editions of intricate drawings, resulting in tender prints such as Two Boys Aged 23 or 24. Lithography allowed editions to be printed in vibrant colours resulting in iconic images such as Lithograph for the '72 Olympic Games.
And then, in the February of 1986, he discovered the colour copy machine and set about using it to make art. Where the aforementioned methods of printmaking required painstaking accuracy and a team of technological experts, the copy machine granted Hockney freedom. The medium promoted individuality (there was, quite literally, no room for another's input) and spontaneity, whilst remaining true to the tradition of layering ink for depth and dimension. You'll find some of the fabulously innovative results below.
