Innovative Expressions

David Hockney’s ‘home-made’ Xerox prints were an innovation developed in the spring of 1986 as a means of restoring spontaneity and autonomy to his printmaking. Having worked collaboratively for several years with ateliers and publishers, Hockney was seeking a form of printmaking that would allow him to create and reproduce art without restriction or external intervention. Hockney was keen to test the limits of printmaking by using a photocopier to make subtly modified ‘translations’ of whatever was placed on it, rather than precise copies. He was also keen to challenge their characterisation as purely office-grade utilitarian devices designed with the sole capacity to duplicate what is fed to them. As a result of printing mishaps, colour choices or a distinction in texture, Hockney instead argues that ‘there’s no such thing as a copy… Everything is a translation of something else, no matter how it’s done.’

Hockney’s home-made prints mark some of his most visually distinct works to date. Dissimilar to his tight early etchings, or his perspectival landscapes of the Hotel Acátlan in Mexico, these home-made prints introduce new informal textures to his print portfolio. These works are also compositionally complex in their overlapping and/or omission of textures and colours to suggest the presence of mass and objects. The prints are overtly domestic in their themes, which ties into the domesticity of the medium. Though displaying a new look and technique to Hockney, the artist’s clean, colourful and compositionally coherent works bear visual similarity to the works of modern masters and his great influences, Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse.

An intriguing similarity manifests when comparing Hockney’s home-made prints with Matisse’s ‘cut-outs.’ Matisse describes these works as ‘carving into colour’, a notion that centres technique and colour as the two key tenets of this series. Hockney’s home-made prints are also driven by process and colour, in addition to further limitations of scale.

Hockney carefully mapped out colour and line before assembling the prints, working out which elements he would copy and print first. His precision, despite the technical difficulty of such a feat, means it is nearly impossible to discern the separate layers of print in the final compositions. Despite the potential for errors like misprinting, smudging or misalignment, he managed to incorporate shadows and details with great precision. Some of his prints appear darker and denser, probably owing to the paper having gone through the copier twice. These areas emphasise shadows, enhancing the three-dimensionality of the objects, while the almost-static effect of photocopied ink suggests mass. These noisier areas of ink allow for more muted areas to form in the negative space around them. In the case of Bowl of Fruit these white spaces give form to some of the fruits in the bowl, despite the absence of an object or colour.

Henri Matisse is arguably one of the most successful colourists of the 20th century. His bold, flat planes of colour are iconic, and celebrated for their sense of harmony and rhythm. Works like The Snail emphasise Matisse’s Fauvist influence, with bright unnatural colours featuring throughout the compositions. The organic arrangements of colour evoke emotion and movement; The Snail abstractedly constitutes several brightly coloured rhombuses that sinuously shift in a spiralling motion to evoke the shell of the snail hinted at in the artwork’s title. Matisse’s ability to convey energy through these simple, yet striking, colour choices exemplify his deep understanding of how colour can evoke visceral responses.

In both Hockney and Matisse, colour serves not just as a visual tool but to elicit emotional reactions and enhance compositional balance. While Hockney layers colour through innovative printmaking techniques, Matisse arranges painted paper with painterly sophistication, showcasing his understanding of how emotional responses can be generated through thoughtful composition. Both artists demonstrate that colour can be both a technical and emotional language—one that speaks to the viewer through its rhythm, contrast, and harmony.

The techniques used by both artists are central to the impact and appeal of their respective bodies of work, serving as a hallmark of each series. Their innovative approaches mark a significant shift in the way medium and technique were perceived, ushering in a sense of democratisation in the artistic process. For Hockney, his technical innovation lies in his ability to transform a simple office tool into an instrument for artistic exploration. Each print run, with its shifting textures and colours, reflects his inventive use of a mass-market technology, showing that even the most commonplace tools can be repurposed to create exciting works.

Matisse’s approach to technique was equally innovative but in a different way. Instead of relying on machines or modern technology, Matisse used scissors, centring his groundbreaking technique on craftsmanship rather than contemporary tools. By cutting painted paper into organic shapes, he created compositions that emphasised fluidity and simplicity. These cut-outs were layered to form dynamic arrangements that conveyed depth and movement. 

Hockney’s Still Life with Curtains (1986) exemplifies his ability to imbue texture into his home-made prints. Its visual quality recalls the frottage technique pioneered by the Surrealists, particularly Max Ernst, who used rubbing and scraping to reveal hidden textures. Hockney’s use of similar methods in works like Man Reading Stendhal (1986) and Still Life with Curtains (1986) adds a tactile dimension. In the latter, this technique distinguishes the floor and the shading of leaves, creating visual depth and an illusion of real depth within the scene.

Both Hockney and Matisse rejected the conventions of their times, embracing innovation and simplicity in their artistic techniques. Hockney turned to modern technology, using the Xerox machine not as a tool for duplication but to create layered, textured prints, showcasing his willingness to experiment with new tools. Matisse instead focused on craftsmanship, abandoning complex brushstrokes in favour of scissors and gouache, creating bold cut-out shapes that emphasised precision and ingenuity. Despite their differing approaches—Hockney's technological exploration versus Matisse’s tactile engagement—both artists achieved visually striking, emotionally resonant works through their deliberate break from tradition.

Hockney’s Red, Blue and Green Flowers (1986) demonstrates his ability to overcome the limitations of his medium. Initially restricted by paper size, he adapted by using multiple sheets to create larger, composite works. His use of three Xerox machines not only expanded his colour palette but also allowed for more ambitious compositions, such as The Tree (1986), an eight-sheet composite, defining the trunk, leaves, stems and roots of the tree in individual prints. The transformation of a mundane office tool into a medium for richly layered art underscores Hockney’s inventive spirit.

For Matisse, scale was not a limitation but a means of liberation. His monumental works, such as The Swimming Pool, transcended the constraints of paper size, transforming entire spaces. His designs extended beyond artworks to architectural environments, like the Rosary Chapel in Vence, France, where he oversaw every detail, from stained glass to murals. This expansive practice demonstrated the versatility of his cut-out technique, which could adapt to both intimate and grandiose settings.

Where Hockney’s work maintains a sense of intimacy through its connection to domesticity and everyday themes, Matisse’s large-scale works redefine the interaction between art, viewer, and space. Despite their differences, both artists share a commitment to democratizing art and exploring new possibilities within their chosen mediums.

Their shared focus on colour, technique, and scale—along with recurring themes of domesticity, nature, and personal connections—results in distinct yet complementary legacies. While Hockney’s work emphasizes the ingenuity of repurposed technology, Matisse’s celebrates the transformative power of craftsmanship, showcasing the breadth of creativity inherent in their groundbreaking practices.

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