Artist: David Hockney
Title: Untitled for Joel Wachs
Medium: Screen-print and Lithograph in Colors on Arches Paper
Image Size: 20" x 24.5"
Sheet Size: 21.625" x 25.5"
Frame Size: 24" x 28" x 2"
Inscription: Signed, numbered, and dated on lower front
Edition: 90/130, Published by Gemini G.E.L., Los Angeles
Year: 1993
Documentation: Gallery Certificate of Authenticity
David Hockney's 1993 "Untitled for Joel Wachs" is a notable example of Hockney's printmaking practice from the early 1990s, reflecting both technical refinement and a personal connection to his artistic and cultural community. The print was created as a tribute to Joel Wachs, a longtime supporter of the arts and public service in Los Angeles.
Hockney's use of color and form in this work demonstrates his continued experimentation with printmaking techniques and his ability to translate painterly concerns into graphic media. The interplay of geometric and organic shapes invites a formal reading while also suggesting personal or associative meaning, in keeping with the artist's broader exploration of perception and representation. The composition reflects Hockney's ongoing interest in color, space, and abstraction. The image combines the precision of screen-printing with the expressive texture of lithography, resulting in a vibrant and layered surface.
The image measures 20 by 24.5 inches, with the full sheet measuring 21.625 by 25.5 inches. This work is presented in a frame measuring 24 by 28 by 2 inches. It is signed, dated, and numbered on the lower front by the artist and is published in an edition of 130 by Gemini G.E.L. in Los Angeles. This impression is number 90 in the edition. This print is listed in the Gemini catalogue raisonné as Gemini 1584 and is accompanied by a gallery certificate of authenticity.
About David Hockney
David Hockney is one of the most influential and celebrated British artists of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Known for his vibrant use of color, inventive compositions, and pioneering exploration of media, Hockney's work spans painting, drawing, photography, printmaking, and digital technology. His diverse practice reflects an ongoing interest in perception, representation, and the emotional resonance of place.
Born on July 9, 1937, in Bradford, England, Hockney studied at the Bradford School of Art before enrolling at the Royal College of Art in London, where he graduated in 1962. While there, he quickly emerged as a prominent figure in the British Pop Art movement, though his work has consistently resisted easy categorization. Even in his earliest works, Hockney combined personal themes with a keen awareness of art history and a desire to experiment with form and technique.
In the mid-1960s, Hockney moved to Los Angeles, where he became captivated by the light, color, and culture of Southern California. This period resulted in some of his most iconic paintings, including A Bigger Splash (1967), which features a sunlit pool and stark modernist architecture rendered in flat planes of color. These works helped define his signature style and brought him international acclaim.
Throughout his career, Hockney has embraced a wide range of media. In addition to painting, he has made significant contributions to printmaking, producing etchings, lithographs, and screen-prints that reflect the same clarity and inventiveness as his paintings. In the 1980s, he began exploring photography, creating complex photo collages known as “joiners," which fragment and reassemble time and space, challenging the conventions of perspective and narrative.
Hockney is deeply engaged with the history of art and frequently draws on references from artists such as Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and Claude Monet. At the same time, he is a relentless innovator, often among the first to incorporate emerging technologies into his practice. In the 2000s and 2010s, he began using digital tools including iPads and iPhones to create drawings and animations, expanding the possibilities of mark-making and distribution in the digital age.
Landscape is a recurring subject in Hockney's work, particularly in the later part of his career. His large-scale depictions of the Yorkshire countryside, such as those included in his 2012 Royal Academy exhibition A Bigger Picture, demonstrate a bold fusion of observation, memory, and imaginative color. These works revisit traditional genres through a contemporary lens, affirming his continued commitment to the relevance of painting.
Portraiture also remains central to his practice. Whether capturing friends, family, or fellow artists, Hockney brings a sharp psychological insight and a strong sense of intimacy to his portraits. His repeated depictions of close acquaintances underscore his belief in the emotional power of sustained looking and long-term observation.
Over the decades, Hockney's influence has grown steadily. He has exhibited in major institutions worldwide, including retrospectives at Tate Britain, the Centre Pompidou, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In 2018, his painting Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures) set a record at auction for a work by a living artist.
Now in his late 80s, Hockney remains active and innovative. Working primarily from his studio in Normandy, France, he continues to explore new approaches to image-making, including immersive video and large-scale digital works. His career exemplifies a tireless curiosity and a lifelong engagement with the possibilities of art.
David Hockney's contribution to contemporary visual culture is both expansive and deeply personal. Through his ongoing reinvention of tools, subjects, and styles, he invites viewers to see the world anew, affirming the enduring vitality of art in a changing world.
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