David Hockney (b. 1937) is renowned for his distinctive paintings, mostly portraiture and landscape, but also for his approach to works on paper and printmaking, mirroring the vibrancy and diligent indexing seen in his broader body of work. Hockney’s prints often showcase a dynamic interplay of colour, form, and perspective, reflecting his keen eye for visual storytelling of intimate elements of his own life.

David Hockney: Paper Trails, accompanying an exhibition at the Shanghai Modern Art Museum in Autumn 2024, examines these works on paper and prints through 129 artworks, mapping out the emotive terrain of his dynamic and vivid compositions. The exhibition, co-curated by Russell Tovey, creator of the popular podcast Talk Art, and the museum’s artistic director Shai Baitel, is intentionally accessible and non-academic. Tovey’s introduction to the catalogue invites the reader to ‘Look and look again’, examining Hockney’s decision to return to the same subjects and sitters repeatedly and the deeper meaning that emerges from the variations on a theme.

This catalogue captures the most comprehensive collection to date of Hockney’s works on paper, encompassing a wide array of image making techniques – from lithography and etching to photo-collage and iPad drawings. His visual experiments, always surprising in their outcomes, suggest a rich interior and exterior life, captured in telling bits and fragments, suggesting a montage of quotidian scenes. The works are curated through affective-atmospheric groupings, with chapters including ‘Playful’, ‘Sombre’, ‘Intimacy’ and ‘Peaceful’, articulating the range of emotional resonance and world-building in Hockney’s practice.

Whether depicting landscapes, portraits of friends, or objects in the home, Hockney’s prints exhibit a harmonious blend of traditional craftsmanship and his own distinct playfulness and insight to daily life. The works showcased in this catalogue highlight his continuous dedication to capturing and indexing his life through intimate portraiture and snapshots from his daily routine.