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★★★☆☆ Details
Style
1½ inches thick (3.75 cm)
Product Details Artist grade canvas, archival inks, wooden stretcher bars, and UVB protective coating
Product Details Artist grade canvas, archival inks, wooden stretcher bars, and UVB protective coating
Artist John Armato Pro Member
Collection Christmas
Description This design was created circa 1959 by a talented man named Emil Bolfeta. Emil was a window designer at Foreman & Clark clothing store in Kansas City, Missouri, where my father was working part time while beginning his career as a junior high school teacher. One holiday season my parents invited Emil to their home for dinner. A few days later, as a thank-you, Emil designed a weary-looking and very mid-century Santa on the back of a used window sign -- even fashioning a beveled poster-board frame for it sprayed with fake window snow. Emil gave the piece to dad (himself an artist who appreciated the skill behind the whimsical illustration) and my parents displayed it for many Christmases. As a child I saw it as just another decoration. As an adult I adore it as an example of the art of the era, and a priceless expression of gratitude. Now better than 60 years later, I'm the owner of this amazing hand-made piece. My parents died in 2019 and 2020 and passed it on to me. Emil, sadly, died while still a young man, his dream of becoming a Hallmark artist unrealized. Recently I had the idea to re-interpret his design. While nothing can replace the original, I think the design is brilliant and endearing and should be enjoyed by others. I describe my work as 'Mid-Century Minded Digital Marquetry.' During the Mad Men era of the 1950s and 60s artists would cut exaggerated, minimalist shapes from wood veneers and assemble them in a sort of basic marquetry (similar to mosaic). The pieces were mounted, usually on textured or natural backgrounds such as canvas, linen or fiberboard. The finished art was framed simply, often without mats or glass. Subject matter reflected mid-century modern motifs such as exotic peoples, musical instruments and animals.Using scans of wood surfaces, I draw images on screen, creating digital marquetry, which is then output as high-resolution, archival-quality prints or canvases.
Popular Configurations
Stretched Canvas
Modern Lines
Contemporary White
Natural Clear Maple
Unframed print
Stretched Canvas
Modern Lines
Contemporary White
Natural Clear Maple
Unframed print
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