2008 screen print series
of 1954 alphabet booklet
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Our Jim Flora series, "PRIMER FOR PROPHETS: A Flora '50s A-B-C," now offers twelve different fine art prints. They are available individually or as sets. The images derive from a 1954 trade-only alphabet booklet titled PRIMER FOR PROPHETS that Flora illustrated for CBS-TV. The booklet, which was not circulated to the public, was intended to attract corporate advertisers to the emerging medium of television (with "Prophet" in the title being a pun on "profit"). Each page featured Flora illustrations of past-tense verbs (A to Z) that reflected daily activities of the typical American family, suggesting products they would purchase. The PRIMER FOR PROPHETS screen prints were produced in a limited edition of 100 by Minneapolis print/design studio Aesthetic Apparatus, using Flora archivist Barbara Economon's high-resolution digital scan of a mint copy of the rare booklet from the Flora collection. The artwork has not been cropped or altered — it is reproduced exactly as it originally appeared. The trademark "Flora" signature, which did not appear on the original illustrations, has been added in the lower right of each print. Each printed and trimmed sheet is 13" x 7-1/2" (including a 3/4" margin around the active artwork). The prints use acrylic screen inks meticulously matched to Flora's original colors on off-white 100-lb., archival-quality, uncoated cover stock (French Paper Co.'s "Whitewash"). Each print is hand-numbered on the front and authenticated on the reverse with stamped seals from Jim Flora Art LLC ( a Flora family enterprise) and Aesthetic Apparatus. The prints in SERIES 1 (released November 2007) are "ATE," "DROVE," "JIVED," and "SMOKED." This page offers the "ATE" print. Other prints in the series are available through our PRINTS page. Numbered copies of the four works in SERIES 1 are now being offered for $60 (except JIVED: $125) per print, unframed. A set of all four prints can be purchased for $220. After the current block of offered prints are sold, prices for remaining stock will increase. The prints in SERIES 3 (released October 2009) are "ECONOMIZED," "NURSED," "UNDERESTIMATED," and "WASHED." The SERIES 3 prints are offered at a cost of $50 per unframed print, or $175 for a full set of four. Prices for remaining stock will increase as the edition depletes. The prints in SERIES 2 (released June 2008) are "COOKED," "GROOMED," "KISSED," and "QUAFFED." The SERIES 2 prints are offered at a cost of $50 per unframed print, or $175 for a full set of four. Prices for remaining stock will increase as the edition depletes. Over the next few years, we will extend the series to cover the entire alphabet. Each illustration is a masterpiece — Jim Flora at his post-war commercial peak. That same year, Flora began illustrating RCA Victor album covers, creating some of his most popular, iconic images (Mambo for Cats). The PRIMER illustrations are consistent with the best of his RCA album sleeves. Great effort is made to ensure the quality and craftmanship of each print. Given the organic nature of the screen printing process, small spots or specks are often present on some prints. However, such minute imperfections are common and do not detract or distract from the image itself. NOTE: Actual print image is sharper than it appears online. We will consider discounts for larger quantity (including dealer) purchases. Please inquire before ordering. |
ORDERING INFO
Personal check and MO accepted Email: printshop@jimflora.com SHIPPING COSTS Orders for multiple Primer for Prophets prints will be charged a single-print flat shipping rate at checkout. U.S. DOMESTIC via UPS with tracking & insurance: Ground: $20 HAWAII & ALASKA via USPS Priority mail: $25 CANADA via USPS Priority International: $40 INTERNATIONAL via USPS Priority International: $45 |
