Flora 1951 woodcut
2007 limited edition prints available
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Jim Flora Art is proud to offer new limited edition relief prints struck from a well-preserved 1951 Flora woodcut. Railroad Town was carved while Flora lived in Mexico. It's a manic panorama, chock with feverish tension and crammed with sinister figures wedged together like rune-shaped brickwork. It's one of Flora's definitive masterpieces. Every quirk and every nuance is evident: music, architecture, dogs, and trains; wild contours and interlocking figures; degenerate behavior, multi-tiered cutaways, and unfathomable anatomy. It's a graphic traffic jam. As Flora once confessed, "I could never stand a static space."  The trial proof relief print (pictured above) was produced in December 2006 at Yee-Haw Industrial Letterpress, Knoxville. The June 2007 numbered edition of 50 is even better—much of the "saltiness" (white flecking) visible in the peripheries of the proof was eliminated by printmaker Bryan Baker. The impression is solid—and stunning.The edition, struck from the artist's original block, features black ink on 280g archival-quality Rives BFK cream. The block measures 11" x 22-1/4", and the full print (with border, not shown) measures 18-3/4" x 30". Each print is hand-titled and numbered at the lower corners, and is authenticated in letterpress type (see detail) in the bottom center with a stamped, dated seal indicating Jim Flora Art LLC (a Flora family enterprise) and Yee-Haw Industrial Letterpress.  We are currently offering print numbers 21/50 and 23/50 (unframed) at $775.00 each (plus s/h; PayPal accepted). These will be sold on a first-come basis. The next block of five (16-20) will sell for $825.00 each. For subsequent releases, prices will increase as stock is depleted. (Print number 1/50 is currently priced at $2,000. That price will bump up along with prices of remaining stock.)  The prints are packaged in a clear sleeve with an acid-free backing sheet, and are shipped directly from Yee-Haw in an 8" diameter x 36" long high-density tube. The tube is large enough around to avoid overlap when the print is arched in place.WOODCUT ARTIFACTS Great effort is made to ensure the quality and craftsmanship of each impression. Given the organic nature of the printing process, small spots or specks are often present. However, such minute imperfections are common, do not detract or distract from the image itself, and give each print unique characteristics. Production is quality-controlled: only first-rate prints are approved for the edition; flawed prints are destroyed. PROOFS AND SPECIAL VERSIONS We have VERY limited edition, numbered and authenticated 2006 proofs in different ink colors on two different papers. "Proof" does not mean "inferior" — it refers to an earlier production run of test prints, involving experiments with techniques. During the proofing stages, flawed prints are destroyed and quality prints are retained. Quality proofs result in restricted editions, which are titled, numbered, and (depending on the production stage) tagged as printer's proofs, trial proofs, or color trial proofs. Paper size for the proofs is larger than for the edition. Snapshots of the process show printmaker Bryan Baker pulling a red on white proof and inking the block in purple. Pricing and specs for the unframed proofs are as follows: |
ORDERING INFO
Personal check and MO accepted Email: printshop@jimflora.com  SHIPPING COSTS U.S. DOMESTIC via UPS with tracking & insurance: Ground: $25 2-day: $40 HAWAII & ALASKA via USPS Priority mail with insurance & delivery confirmation: $40 CANADA via USPS Express Mail International with tracking & insurance: $45 INTERNATIONAL via USPS Express Mail International with tracking & insurance: $60 (optional return receipt add $3) |
Purple on cream (Color Trial Proof)
paper: 280g archival-quality Rives BFK cream
paper size: 22-1/4 x 30
numbers available: 1/6, 3/6, 5/6, 6/6
price: $1,500.00
NOTES:
1) Print 2/6 of the series is depicted. Prints 1/6, 3/6, 5/6, and 6/6 are equivalent in quality.
2) This color configuration might be editioned at a later date.
Red on white (Color Trial Proof)
paper: Arches natural white
paper size: 22-1/2 x 30
number available: 1/3
price: $2,500.00
NOTES:
1) Numbers 2/3 and 3/3 are owned by private collectors.
2) This color configuration will NOT be editioned.
BLACK INK PROOF (GHOST OVERPRINT)
There is also one amazing black ink proof (numbered 1/1) which features a grainy impression with a ghost overprint that imbues the entire work with an unintended magical dimension and depth. This accidental print has qualities that cannot be duplicated, and looks as if it were detailed by the artist. The ghost impression is about a half-inch off, which creates evocative shadows and fascinating fills. We are asking $5,000 for that print. If you are seriously interested, email us for a glimpse.
