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The Kenneth E. Tyler Collection

David Hockney's cancellation proofs

In conjunction with the exhibition ‘David Hockney: Prints’ a selection of cancellation proofs were on display at the gallery, offering viewers a rare glimpse at this little known practice of print workshops.

Written by Alice Desmond
6 March 2018
In The Kenneth Tyler Collection
Read time 5 minutes

Cancellation proofs are prints created from defaced printing matrixes. Their purpose is to provide assurance that a ‘limited edition’ is truly limited, by demonstrating that no further identical prints can be made.

A colour photograph of the Hockey Prints exhibition

Interior of David Hockney: Prints, on display at the NGA from 11 Nov 2017—27 May 2018

Cancellation proofs are not often collected or displayed at galleries, so it is remarkable that the NGA has over 40 cancellation proofs and cancelled matrixes by artists that worked with American master printer Kenneth Tyler. The breadth of these holdings reveals unexpected variety in the approaches that creators have taken to ‘cancelling’ their work, including examples that challenge the idea that cancellation is necessarily an act of defacement.

David Hockney's A portrait of Rolf Nelson print depicting a man in portraiture upon a blue background

David Hockney, Kenneth Tyler, Gemini Ltd., A portrait of Rolf Nelson, Cancellation proof, 1968, National Gallery of Australia, Kamberri/Canberra, Purchased 1973. © Gemini Ltd / Kenneth E. Tyler.

Although matrixes are usually cancelled with a simple strike or cross through the image, David Hockney’s cancellation proofs show a creative and unconventional approach, which echoes the sense of humour visible in other prints on display in the exhibition. For example, in the cancellation proof for A portrait of Rolf Nelson Hockney has reimagined his subject with luscious ruby lips, long eyelashes and wearing a peace sign. The published edition of Henry and Christopher is unconventional because each print is modified with unique handcolouring, some even include collage elements. Cancellation proofs usually differ noticeably from the identically reproduced images of the edition, however, since the edition for Henry and Christopher is not uniform –one of the prints even crosses out Henry’s face – close attention is required to notice the destructive element of the cancellation proof.

To learn more visit the Kenneth E. Tyler collection website or David Hockney's artist page.

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