| Artist: | David Hockney (British, b. 1937) (1937 - ) |
|---|---|
| Title: | White Porcelain, from Moving Focus, 1985 |
| Series: | Moving Focus, 1984 |
| Medium: | Lithograph in colors on TGL handmade paper. |
| Image Size: | 18 3/4 x 22 1/8 in (47.6 x 55.9 cm) |
| Sheet Size: | 18 3/4 x 22 1/8 in (47.6 x 55.9 cm) |
| Edition: | Numbered from the edition of 80 in pencil in the lower left. |
| Signature: | This work is hand signed by David Hockney (Bradford 1937-) in pencil in the lower right. |
| Item # | W-101983 |
David Hockney, White Porcelain, from Moving Focus, 1985–86, is one of the most refined and visually distinctive still lifes from David Hockney’s landmark Moving Focus series, created during a period of major experimentation in the artist’s work. Centered on two small white vessels filled with flowers, the composition transforms a modest tabletop arrangement into an elegant exploration of observation, color, perspective, and space.
By the early 1980s, Hockney had become increasingly dissatisfied with the fixed viewpoint of traditional Renaissance perspective. Inspired by his photographic “joiners” and his continuing investigation of how the eye observes a subject over time, he developed images in which depth and spatial relationships could shift within a single composition. The Moving Focus series represents one of the clearest expressions of these ideas, bringing together portraits, interiors, architecture, and still life through Hockney’s constantly evolving approach to perception.
Unlike the dramatically fractured spaces found elsewhere in the series, White Porcelain presents a quieter and more restrained composition. Two pale vessels sit upon a slightly tilted tabletop, one holding purple flowers and the other containing bright yellow and red tulips. Loose black marks, diagonal lines, and lightly drawn geometric forms establish the surrounding space, while the concentrated bursts of color draw attention toward the flowers. The contrast between vivid natural forms and the largely monochromatic interior gives the work an immediate, spontaneous quality that is unmistakably Hockney.
Works from Hockney’s 1980s period are highly valued for combining familiar subjects with important technical and conceptual experimentation. Within the Moving Focus series, White Porcelain is especially appealing for its intimate scale, elegant balance, and unusual restraint. Collectors prize these editions for their limited production, exceptional craftsmanship, and importance within Hockney’s continuing investigation of space and representation.
Produced in collaboration with the legendary master printers at Tyler Graphics, White Porcelain combines lithography, etching, and aquatint in colors on luxurious TGL handmade paper. The mixture of techniques gives the composition a rich variety of surfaces, from delicate linear drawing to more deeply layered areas of color and texture. Published by Tyler Graphics Ltd. with its blindstamp, the full sheet measures approximately 18¾ by 22⅛ inches. It stands as a refined example of Hockney’s ability to bring the freedom of drawing into the demanding medium of printmaking.
Museum Collections:
The significance of White Porcelain is reflected by its inclusion in the permanent collections of several internationally recognized museums, including:
Walker Art Center, Minneapolis
National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo
Its presence in these prestigious institutions underscores the importance of both the Moving Focus series and Hockney’s innovative contributions to late twentieth-century still life and printmaking.
This example, numbered from the limited edition of only 80 and hand signed and dated by David Hockney, represents an outstanding opportunity to acquire one of the artist’s most elegant and engaging print editions. A separate group of artist’s proofs was also produced outside the standard edition. Combining rarity, historical significance, exceptional craftsmanship, and one of the most inventive periods of Hockney’s career, White Porcelain is an important work for serious collectors of modern and contemporary art.
David Hockney’s Moving Focus series, created between 1984 and 1986, is one of the most ambitious print projects of his career. Moving beyond traditional fixed perspective, Hockney used shifting viewpoints, fragmented forms, expressive drawing, and vivid color to explore how people experience subjects over time. Featuring portraits, interiors, still lifes, chairs, and views of the Hotel Romano Angeles in Mexico, the series was produced with Kenneth Tyler using innovative combinations of lithography, etching, screenprinting, collage, and handmade papers. Together, the works represent a major achievement in modern printmaking and a powerful exploration of movement, perspective, and memory.
The works in David Hockney’s Moving Focus Series (1984–1986) include: Conversation in the Studio, Tyler Dinning Room, Pembroke Studio Interior, Pembroke Studio with Blue Chairs and Lamp, Two Pembroke Studio Chairs, The Perspective Lesson, Amaryllis in Vase, Red Celia, Celia in Green Hat, Hotel Acatlan: First Day, Hotel Acatlan: Second Day, Hotel Acatlan: Two Weeks Later, Views of Hotel Well I, Views of Hotel Well II, Views of Hotel Well III, Walking Past Two Chairs, An Image of Gregory, An Image of Celia, An Image of Celia, State I, An Image of Celia, State II, An Image of Celia Study, Portrait of Mother I, Portrait of Mother II, Portrait of Mother III, An Image of Ken, White Porcelain, A Picture of Two Chairs, Number One Chair.
Catalogue Raisonné & COA:
David Hockney White Porcelain, from Moving Focus, 1985–86 is fully documented and referenced in the below catalogue raisonné and related texts. Copies will be enclosed as added documentation with the invoices that will accompany the sale of the work.
Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, catalogue number 285.
David Hockney (British, b. 1937)White Porcelain, from Moving Focus, 1985 |
|
| Lithograph in colors on TGL handmade paper. | |
| from the edition of 80 in pencil in the lower left. | |
| hand signed by David Hockney (Bradford 1937-) in pencil in the lower right. | |
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