Saguaro 1987

Eyvind Earle created this print of a Saguaro landscape using serigraphy, a process related to screen-printing, which really lends itself to the flat planes of color you see here. Serigraphy is all about layering. The artist prepares a screen, and then forces ink through it onto the paper beneath. Each color requires a separate screen, a separate squeegee, and of course, a separate pass through the press. In "Saguaro," each stripe and geometric form results from this kind of labor. Earle was deeply involved in every stage of this process. He was very interested in industrial production methods, and how they could allow for art that was both affordable and well-designed. Earle’s process is all about control and precision. Look closely, and you can see the beautiful effects he achieved through careful alignments and color choices. "Saguaro" bridges the gap between the fine arts and the broader world of commercial design, and it’s this quality that makes it so interesting.