David Hockney first experimented with printmaking as an art student studying at the Royal College of Art in London. At one point, having run out of funds, he was unable to purchase any further art materials until he discovered that in the printing room, materials were free.
In this period, Julian Trevelyan was in post as Professor of Printmaking at the College, inducting students into the process and its extensive potential for creative expression. With a painter’s perspective, Hockney brought a spontaneity to the technical process of etching and his abilities were quickly recognised when he won the prestigious Guinness Award for Etching while still a student.
