Behind the Eight Ball

 

Edmond Casarella

  1920 - 1996 (biography)

1960  

color paper relief print 

15 1/8 x 22" image 

pencil, lower right 

proof; outside the numbered edition of 10. 

titled & dated 

illustrated, page 27 in Woodcuts of Fifteen American Cities from the Business Week Collection 

soft absorbent laid paper 

published 

Business Week to illustrate its "Business America" series 

NC174 

$3,500.00 

This image, a rare proof – outside the small edition of 10 impressions - was commissioned by 'Business Week' magazine to be used in a limited edition book of 3000, published in 1963 by McGraw-Hill to illustrate its "Business America" series. The publication was titled "WOODCUTS of Fifteen American Cities From the Business Week Collection." It promoted "Business / New Patron of the Arts" with a forward noting business patronage over the years and commenting "From 1960-1962. Business Week commissioned fourteen prominent woodcut artists to illustrate its 'Business America' series." Casarella created two images that were published. Casarella created three color blockprints using his innovative paper relief method (technically not all 'woodcut') for the series, one for Denver and the other two for Detroit, from which this image was selected. “Detroit” was illustrated in a full-color reproduction on page 27 of the publication WOODCUTS of Fifteen American Cities From the Business Week Collection. "Behind the Eight Ball" is a loose depiction of the eight cylinder engine, was a tribute to the city of Detroit – described as the: "Free Wheeling City of Brains and Brawn. Detroit...The Motor Capital. Birthplace of mass production. Home of the transportation titans who have put America on wheels." The other 13 printmakers included were: William Bond, Robert Conover, Werner Drewes, David Glines, Max Kahn, Jacob Landau, Paul/Eugene Larkin, George Lockwood, Samuel Maiten, Frederick Marvin, Doris Seidler, Carol Summers, and Earl Thollander.