Atelier 17 founder Stanley William Hayter began doing his annual Greeting cards in 1930-31, often featuring techniques he was currently experimenting with - a peek into the future. Early cards were done in editions of 50, later in editions of 100. He did his last one in 1981-82 in a single impression. These original prints were pencil signed and dated. Given to colleagues, collectors, dealers, etc as a holiday gift many have personal annotations.
Hayter puts the universal laws of motion and change into a visual possibility. His colors got brighter and more electric, even fluorescent and moved in crisscrossing, rhythmic movement. This image, done for 1961-62, used three color linoleum blocks, printed and transferred to another plate and printed offset in three colors in an edition of around 100 impressions. The artist transferred the inked blocks to a metal plate and offset printed the inked plates to the paper.
This impression is dedicated to Atelier 17 printmakers and close friends, Fred Becker and Jean Morrison.