The Last Ship
From The River of the Northern City
During this years long, unprecedented print making project (edition of 85 books); countless proofs, woodblock alterations and color modifications were effectively transformed into books of fine art prints which now reside in The Metropolitan Museum of Art New York City, The Library of Congress, The British Library, the rare book libraries of Bodleian Oxford, Yale, Columbia, Stanford, Williams and Smith colleges respectively (among many others) as well as in private collections and museums across the globe.
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The narrative of these wood block prints for the above named edition, echoes that of Sting's musical and subsequent double album titled, "The Last Ship";
all of which reflect upon Gordon Sumner's conflicted coming of age in his home town during the final throws of the mighty ship building era in Wallsend, England.
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I hope you enjoy a look (back) over my shoulder at this monumental project for STING.
Before the Buzzer Blows
The Master Printmaker (Brandon Graving) has applied in total, 23 colors of ink to achieve the desired depiction of a street in Sting's home town of Wallsend, England (early in the morning before the ship dock's buzzer broadcasts its call to town workers).
Morning Sun On Gearld Street
The street where Sting lived as a child and where he daily watched the men walk to and from the shipyard for work. The mighty ships would cast their shadows for months at a time.
The Great Eastern
In the rush to complete the construction of the Great Eastern, two men were accidentally welded into her double hull never to be found alive.
The outline above the two trapped men represents the tall hat of the construction supervisor, Isambard Brunell.
Walkers welders on Criddle's Landing
The danger and pride of building the largest ships in the world were felt by all in Wallsend.
Newcastle Upon Tyne
Coal deposits along the river Tyne helped fuel the English industrial revolution as well as the iron smelters for the steel of great ships.
Winter Launch
Another mighty ship is launched into the North Sea.
Ship In The Hole
For the latest word and a drink, Ship In The Hole was the place to gather after work.
(Double block print is folded within the unbound, deluxe edition).
Sting and Brandon relaxing at the signing of the colophon in New York.
Sting performs selected songs from his musical, "The Last Ship" at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York while the "Ship In The Hole" print image is projected above.
Colophon signing ceremony at Hearst Tower, NYC.
At The MET, on our way to Gallery 746.
Brandon Graving enjoys seeing her hard work as Master Printmaker on display at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC.
It takes a while to warm up when outside temperatures dip below zero in New England.
Brandon pays a visit to Printer Art Larson of Horton Tank Press; Letterpress.
Art printed the text for the editions.
Above and beyond the typical duties carried out by a Master Printmaker, Brandon over sees the procurement of Poplar slab from a specialty wood shop in Connecticut.
Ms. Graving employs a sonic rasp to remove raised Poplar fiber which might interfere with the inking and or printing process.
The paper from Papeterie Saint-Armand was carefully curated not only for its color palette, physical beauty and its ability to be deeply embossed but also for its durability. After all, these prints are meant to be handled for centuries to come from these intentionally unbound books!
Whew, coffee at last.
It's all in the details.
