Detroit by Casarella, Edmond (1920 - 1996)
Color paper relief print; 1961; pencil signed and dated; edition10/10; printed by the artist on laid Japanese paper; from the estate of the artist; NC270. Between 1960 and 1962 Business Week commissioned fourteen prominent American woodcut artist to illustrate its Business America series in an attempt to encourage interaction between business and art. The series was called Woodcuts of Fifteen American Cities from the Business Week Collection and a book with color reproductions was published in an edition of 5,000. Casarella created two color paper relief prints for the collection: Denver and Formation. Casarella was an early experimenter with the Paper Relief print such as this composition, starting in 1949. Some scholars credit him with its invention. Using shapes cut from chipboard and illustration board he built up the surface of a plate, which was printed by hand as a relief. By peeling, sanding, scraping, and carving the cardboard elements he was able to achieve a composition that looks both spontaneous and gestural. A description of this technique can be found on page 154 of "The Stamp of Impulse - Abstract Expressionist Prints" by David Acton, Worcester Museum, 2001.
 
Matted, Image size: 16.3in x 23in (41.3 x 58.4cm). 
Overall size 22in x 28in (55.9 x 71.1cm).
Made in: US, 1961 
Art-In-Industry collection number pp_501