Supermarine Spitfire - Alan Thornton - Art Screen Print

This print will be delivered from the UK. Local duties and taxes may be applicable on import to regions outside the UK. By purchasing this title, you agree and consent to your information being shared with Alan Thornton for use in the fulfilment of your order.

This fine art screen print is of the Spitfire Mk 1A, using a photograph of the model built by the artisans at Amalgam Collection. The Spitfire is Britain’s most famous and romanticised World War II fighter, remembered and revered for its pivotal role in keeping the Luftwaffe at bay, during the Battle of Britain in the late summer of 1940. The brainchild of Reginald Mitchell of Supermarine Ltd., the Spitfire was developed in response to a 1934 Air Ministry specification and was a direct descendant of a series of Supermarine racing floatplanes the S5 S6 and S6B, that were victorious in the Schneider Trophy in 1927, 1929 and 1931. Like the seaplanes it evolved from the Spitfire featured a stressed-skin aluminium structure built around a 1,000hp, 12-cylinder, liquid-cooled Rolls-Royce PV-12 engine (later known as the Merlin). The design featured a graceful elliptical wing with a thin aerofoil that, in combination with the Merlin’s efficient two-stage supercharger, gave it exceptional performance at high altitudes. More Hurricanes than Spitfires served in the Battle of Britain, and they were credited with more “kills,” but the Spitfire captured the imagination like nothing else, achieving a visceral blend of visual and audial perfection.

Amalgam Collection and Alan Thornton

Amalgam is delighted to partner with artist Alan Thornton to introduce a collection of silkscreen prints. Precise and technical in nature, these prints isolate the subject, laying the image onto Alan’s signature metallic background, that focuses the viewer’s eye on the sculptural, organic qualities of iconic cars and planes. Alan’s obsession with form, function and beauty, combined with his enduring passion for all things automotive and mechanical, align perfectly with Amalgam’s mission.

The Process

Screen printing is the process of transferring a stencilled artwork onto a flat surface using a mesh screen, ink and a squeegee. Starting with the photography, the subject matter is composed and lit with the intermediate processes and the final print in mind - each step very much influences the final outcome. In post-production the image is refined and manipulated to create the final tonal variations needed for the separation of colours, which are then half toned which simulates continuous-tone imagery through the use of dots or lines, varying either in size or in spacing, thus generating a gradient-like effect. For each colour, a positive acetate is transferred to a silk screen frame coated in photosensitive emulsion. Following exposure, washing out and drying, the frame is mounted on a to print bed, and the chosen colour ink is then forced through the mesh with a squeegee by hand. This is a highly skilled craft process, sensitive to the touch, feel and technique of the printer, and as a result each print is unique.

Handling Your Print

Art screen prints are best handled by professional framers. We would always recommend framing your print with a box frame under UV protected glass or acrylic, which will give maximum protection. When removing your print from the tube, reach in with clean hands and gently twist the print to make it smaller, slowly pull the print out from the centre. Do not pull quickly at a corner as you may damage the corner. Try to physically handle the print as little as possible and, when you do, always make sure your hands are clean and that you support the print fully, as the paper can pick up dirt or crease. Try to avoid leaving the print rolled for any length of time.

Prints of the Spitfire are limited to just 200 pieces. No frame is included. By purchasing this print, you agree and consent to your information being shared with Alan Thornton for use in the fulfilment of your order.