A pioneering print created by the late David Hockney on his iPad and signed by him in pencil is to be sold by Lyon & Turnbull on Tuesday 13 October in its inaugural Prints/Editions sale in London.
During his sixty-year-long career, Hockney, who died in June this year aged 88, used a range of mediums, famously embracing the latest technologies in his creative process.
Considered one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century, he first started to experiment with drawing digitally on his iPhone in 2009, moving onto the iPad in 2010 just after its release.
Oranges (iPad Drawing No 643) is estimated to fetch between £40,000 and £60,000, is from his early celebrated still life series, Oranges, produced in 2011.
Published by the artist, it was bought by a private UK collector from Pace Gallery in New York who represented the artist for nearly 20 years.
Kirstie Davidson is one of the British art world's most seasoned specialists in the printmaking field. She recently joined Lyon & Turnbull to head up its new specialist prints department in London.
Ms Davidson said:
“It is very rare to see one of David Hockney’s large-format still-life iPad drawings come to auction, and it is incredibly exciting to have this fantastic example in our sale.
“His iPad drawings are very much sought-after, and we have seen exceptional growth in this area of Hockney’s market over the last couple of years. This particular print epitomises the vibrant colour and Californian light for which he became known after his move from England to Los Angeles.
“Hockney mastered whatever medium he used, the apparently effortless result belying his huge artistry and technical skill. Oranges, for instance, is comprised of up to 30 layers to create and contrast texture, shadow and vivid colour.
“David Hockney’s prints played a formative part in his artistic career from the very beginning, and remained central to his artistic practice throughout his lifetime, exemplifying his distinctive style and mark-making.”
A lithographic print by Hockney, Pool Made with Paper and Blue Ink for Book (1980), valued at between £30,000 and £50,000, is another auction highlight.
According to Lyon & Turnbull, the appetite for prints is growing, as evidenced by the appointment of Ms Davidson and the sale itself: this is the company’s inaugural Prints/Editions auction.
This is also the first time that the fine art auction house has held a dedicated prints auction featuring work by Old Masters.
Last year, Lyon & Turnbull sold The Three Trees, a rare etching by Dutch Master, Rembrandt Van Rijn for £225,200. It was part of a collection belonging to the late Hugo Burge, an internet entrepreneur based in The Borders.
Widely considered to be one of his greatest etchings, the sale demonstrates the rise in demand for, and interest in, Old Master, Modern and Contemporary artists.
Ms Davidson explains:
“The Old Masters were very much involved in the printing process. They drew lines onto the metal plates themselves and worked very closely with specialist printers.
"It's extremely rare to handle a sale like Rembrandt's The Three Trees but it is possible to find a number of Old Master prints by the likes of Rembrandt or Dürer at a far more conservative level.
“There is, for instance, a really lovely small Rembrandt etching, Self-Portrait in a Velvet Cap with a Plume (1638), priced at between £5,000 and £7,000. This is one of the reasons that Prints are such an excellent gateway into building a collection.”
The Prints/Editions auction features prints by both Old and Modern Masters such as Albrecht Dürer, Rembrandt, Edvard Munch, Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, L.S. Lowry, Harland Miller, Bridget Riley and Damien Hirst.
Ms Davidson adds:
"This sale reflects the breadth and evolution of printmaking as a medium, exploring the artistry of printmaking across intaglio, relief and planographic techniques, alongside editioned multiples, bringing together works of exceptional quality and strong collector appeal.
"As well as featuring works by renowned printmakers, this flagship sale also celebrates the strong history of British printmaking through works by modern British artists including William Nicholson, John Wells, Denis Mitchell, Bryan Wynter, Henry Moore, John Craxton and Patrick Heron.
"Throughout time, artists have engaged with printmaking as means of furthering their artistic practice, and experimenting with different techniques, effects and compositions.
"Other popular artists such as L.S. Lowry produced prints based on their original works, maintaining their character and charm across all mediums."
An offset lithograph, Going to the Match (1972), based on the artist’s oil on canvas which sold for almost eight million pounds, is being sold with an estimate of between £18,000 and £22,000.
When it comes to contemporary work, a piece by acclaimed photographer Richard Learoyd, who was born in Lancashire in 1966 and graduated from The Glasgow School of Art in 1990, is already attracting a great deal of interest.
Tatiana and Olga Grateful, estimated at between £10,000 and £15,000, is a striking portrait of one of Learoyd’s regular sitters. The artist is celebrated for his distinctive, life-size photographs which he creates using his custom-built room-sized camera obscura. This technique allows him to produce the image directly onto photographic paper.
Also included in this Prints/Editions sale is Death, What's in It for Me?, a 2011 screenprint by British artist and writer, Harland Miller, which is part of a series styled after vintage Penguin book covers, combining dark humour, irony, and pop art. It is estimated to sell for between £12,000 and £18,000.
A group of three works by the highly acclaimed wildlife and environmental photographer Nick Brandt, with Lioness in Dark Foliage, Serengeti (2012) estimated to sell for between £8,000 and £12,000.
