Created by photographer and artist Alan Thornton
It’s our privilege to announce the launch of a new collection of fine art silkscreen prints capturing the most iconic cars in a gloriously handmade combination of artistry and technical virtuosity. The first, and a glamorous edition in the collection, is a very large format print of the Lotus 72D in Gold Leaf livery, embellished with real gold leaf, each print signed by the two-time Formula 1 World Drivers' Champion Emerson Fittipaldi. Alongside this huge print limited to just 50 pieces, and still at large format, are a detailed and captivating spot coloured print of the Maserati 300S engine bay, and a really stunning art print of the Lotus 72D viewed from the front. Precise and technical in nature, these prints isolate the subject, laying the image onto Alan’s signature metallic background, focusing the viewer’s eye onto the sculptural, organic qualities of iconic cars. These truly extraordinary handmade art prints are available to purchase on our website now.
Emerson Fittipaldi Signed Lotus 72D
Massive Format Silkscreen Print Hand-finished in 23.75 carat Gold Leaf
50 years on from Emerson Fittipaldi's 1972 World Championship victory with Team Lotus, we were honoured and tremendously excited to be invited by Emerson Fittipaldi and Clive Chapman of Classic Team Lotus, to celebrate the car and the man in a remarkable and beautiful collaboration with artist and photographer Alan Thornton. Alan has taken Classic Team Lotus's 72D into the studio and shot it beautifully at very high resolution. With his London based team using hand pulled silkscreen printing, he has rendered the image onto archive quality handmade paper at a very large size: 1.5 metres wide and 1 metre high. Alan has used spot colours to maximise the intensity of the image and has gilded the gold parts of the livery in genuine 23.75 Carat Gold Leaf. The result is an imposing and incredibly beautiful handmade print, that delivers in equal and generous measure, the technical and engineering virtuosity of this revolutionary car, and the glamour of a truly golden age in F1.
Emerson took time out ahead of a shoot with Sky at Brands Hatch recently to sign the prints, and we enjoyed his warmth, wit and engaging modesty for a couple of hours, exploring amongst other things his close relationship with Colin Chapman and his views on F1 today. Each print has been meticulously signed by him in archive quality ink.
Lotus 72D
Large Format Fine Art Silkscreen Print
Measuring 100cm by 70cm wide, this limited edition of 200 prints on Naturalis paper depicts one the most significant and successful car designs in Formula 1 history: the Lotus 72D. The front angle invites the viewer to focus on the ground-breaking wedge-shaped nose, a design that rewrote the rules of aerodynamic interpretation and influences single-seater design to this very day. With a career spanning six seasons, the Type 72 made a remarkable one hundred forty-nine Grand Prix starts across 75 races, securing three Constructors’ Championships in 1970, 1972 and 1973, and two Drivers’ Championships in 1970 with Jochen Rindt and 1972 with Emerson Fittipaldi. The 72 earned 20 race wins and 19 further podiums in the hands of some of the finest drivers to have graced motorsport: Rindt, Fittipaldi, Reine Wisell, Ronnie Peterson and Jacky Ickx. To create this wonderfully detailed print, Alan was granted exclusive access by Clive Chapman to photograph the original Lotus 72D in the possession of Classic Team Lotus.
Maserati 300S Engine Bay
Art and Engineering meet in Perfect Harmony
A limited edition of 200 fine art silkscreen prints created by artist and photographer Alan Thornton depicting the three-litre straight-six engine of the Maserati 300S. Alan has taken a fine example of the 300S into the studio and shot it beautifully at very high resolution on a large format camera. With his London based team using hand pulled silkscreen printing, he has rendered the image onto Naturalis paper at a large size: 1.0 metres wide and 0.7 metres high. Alan has used spot colours to maximise the intensity of the image and the result is an imposing and incredibly beautiful art print, that fully delivers the elegance and engineering virtuosity of this Italian masterpiece.
Widely considered to be one of the finest handling front-engined sports cars of all time, the car’s balance and handling drew praise far and wide, and for many drivers such as the great Sir Stirling Moss, it was a favourite. In the hands of the best drivers, the 300S could get around a circuit quicker than many larger displacement competitors. Piloted by a host of period heroes, Moss, Juan Manuel Fangio, Luigi Musso, Briggs Cunningham, Jean Behra, Roberto Mières, Masten Gregory, Piero Taruffi, Cesare Perdisa, Hans Herrman and Carroll Shelby, the 300S raced with great success, and fully earned its place as a sports car icon. To create this wonderfully detailed print, Alan was granted special access to photograph a significant original 300S.
Creating the Prints
Executed under Alan Thornton’s direction by a Skilled Team of Artisans
Starting with studio photography, the subject is meticulously composed and lit with the creative print process in mind. Each step in the creative path hugely influences the magic delivered in the finished piece. In post-production the image is refined and manipulated at length to create the subtle tonal variations needed for the separation of colours, which are then half toned, simulating continuous-tone imagery through the use of dots or lines, varying either in size or in spacing, to generate an ultra-real gradient effect.
To create the final print, the art is transferred to a silkscreen frame coated in photosensitive emulsion. Following exposure, washing out and drying, a frame for each individual colour is mounted onto a print bed, and the spot colour ink that has been meticulously mixed to match the original car, is forced through the mesh with a squeegee by hand. This is highly skilled artisanal work, demanding extreme sensitivity and feel from the printer, and as a result each print is unique.
Alan Thornton - Photographer and Artist
Art driven by Discipline and Skill
Alan has defined a direction for this collection that draws on his extensive experience in the British media industry, employing deep skills developed over decades with the world of photography and moving image. His work is expressed through the medium of silkscreen printing and is inspired by the work of Andy Warhol, delivering extraordinarily beautiful and magical limited edition prints, each one capturing the iconic subjects with powerful emotionality. Alan has been developing his approach as an image-maker, photographer and filmmaker for over 30 years, and is constantly seeking new ideas and approaches. His obsession with form, function and beauty, combined with an enduring passion for all things automotive and mechanical, align perfectly with Amalgam’s mission and we are proud to be collaborating with Alan Thornton on this new collection.