Peeling by Thom De Jong (70s & 80s NYC hotsell Dutch Artist) Unframed Relief Print

Art Size: 7 3/4" x 9 1/2"
Paper Size: 15" x 22"
Number: 15/75
Title: Peeling
Signed: YES!
Notes:

All of our listed artwork is from the collection of Ruth Franklin, who owned and operated a print shop in NYC in the 70s and 80s. While living in New York, Thom De Jong produced his work at her shop. These pieces are all 40+ years old, so the paper has yellowed a bit. Close up pics highlight the print number, title, signature, and any flaws in the piece.

Smaller prints are shipped in a large flat envelope with thick cardboard reinforcement. Larger prints will be carefully rolled and sent in a heavy duty tube. All prints will be fully insured for loss or damage.

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The following information was taken from the Thom De Jong official website which is run by his brother, Philip, and his son, Thom. I have reworded and edited the information a bit because English is not their first language.

The Artist

Thom de Jong was born in 1940 in Amsterdam and died at the age of 48 in 1988. He lived in Amsterdam and New York where he made paintings and graphical work. His graphical work was mainly hotsell relief prints with a few lithograph and silkscreen prints. Relief printing is a unique and labor-intensive way of working, but it shows Thom de Jong's unique and personal style. In this way, an extensive oeuvre was created that was sold in many exhibitions and galleries in New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Amsterdam, Haarlem, Paris, and Copenhagen. His work is found in many museums and private collections and represents the seventies and eighties in a cheerful and relative way.

The Process of Relief Printing

Relief printing (woodcut, wood engraving, linotype, blindstamp) - This technique in the 70s and 80s was more popular in America than in Europe, but Thom used it in his own personal way. The relief prints were made by first drawing on a Perspex plate and then sawing the plate until a puzzle of little pieces was created. Using the electric saw is a very difficult process. If he went too slow, the plastic would melt which resulted in a bad line. If he went to fast, he could easily miss the drawing line. Every piece was then inked with rollers and reassembled. The whole puzzle was put together, covered with a sheet of paper, and then put through an etching press. You can feel the relief in the print which is where the technique "Relief Print" got its name. It's a time consuming and difficult technique which yielded only a few prints per day. This technique, his hard work, and amazing creativity resulted in a huge amount of about 240 different prints.

Colorfastness

These prints are NOT 100% colorfast (sun fast, lightfast). The pigments used to give color to the printing ink in the 70s and 80s are different from the ones used in modern artists' oil and acrylic paint. Besides the pigments, there's the paper. The influence of UV light will yellow the paper which will change the color of the ink. Environmental conditions can also harm the artwork, like polluted air, moisture, insects, and fungus. Most problems can be avoided by framing your print in the proper way with UV-blocking glass or Perspex in combination with an acid free back panel tape and passe-partout. The place where your print will be shown will also have an influence, so keep it out of direct sunlight.