MASONIC NEXUS, PHILADELPHIA - Limited Edition of 5 Print

This original work of art exists in the form of a hand-printed etching by Jerry Mazur-DiFalco and was adapted from one of his photographs shot during a tour of the Philadelphia Masonic Temple in late 1998. The work on paper was executed on a zinc plate on which a liquid ground of melted beeswax, mineral spirits, and oil of spike lavender had been applied and left to dry. DiFalco then etched the image lines into the layer of dried ground with needles and then developed the exposed areas in three Nitric acid baths. The studio techniques of aquatint, drypoint, Chine colle, and intaglio and were employed; this original etching is number one of five within the Third Edition of Four. DiFalco limits each edition to five prints, and each edition is executed in different color combinations of ink and paper. The artist's title emphasizes the Masonic connections to geometry, honor, faith, and spirituality; the word nexus means link or intersection and comes from the Greek language. The image size is ten inches wide by eight inches high, or 25.400cm by 20.320cm; the print, or paper, size is fifteen inches wide by twelve inches high, or 38.100cm by 30.480cm. This edition was printed on RivesBFK white paper from France with a blend of French inks from Paris and London. The work includes an archival (acid-free) mat and a wood/glass frame (semi-ornate painted gold). NOTE: In the Chine collè process, which means Chinese Pasting, DiFalco treated hand dyed mulberry bark paper from Thailand with methyl cellulose. This specific brand was infused with Japanese kozo (mulberry bark) threads. Once dry, DiFalco hand cut seven tiny shapes from the mulberry bark paper and applied them directly to the zinc plate before running it through the press. In this case, the process endows the six windows on the main door and semi-circular window above it with an orange glow. In addition, the special inking and plate-wiping techniques employed by DiFalco bestows the etching's visuals with a haunting and secretive aura. This building, situated at One North Broad Street just north of Philadelphia City Hall, was constructed in 1873. The architect—James Hamilton Windrim (1840-1919)—incorporated seven lodge halls within this structure to reflect the seven “ideal” architectural styles: Renaissance, Ionic, Oriental, Corinthian, Gothic, Egyptian, and Norman. The Philadelphia Masonic Temple is one of the best examples of post-Civil War architecture in the United States. The price of this work, which contains over one thousand etched lines, includes all shipment costs, packing materials, shipment carton, Certificate of Authenticity, and the framed and matted etching. The work was hand printed by the artist at The Center for Works on Paper, located at 705 Christian Street, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (within Fleisher Art Memorial’s Open Printmaking Studio). The Fleisher art school is located on the 700 block of Catharine Street and is associated with The Philadelphia Museum of Art. DiFalco used a industrial CHARLES BRAND Printing Press that was manufactured in New York City.

Printmaking:Etching on Paper

Artist Produced Limited Edition of:5

Size:20 W x 16 H x 1 D in

Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments.