Print

Proudly "We" Stand

Description

Matted print created titled Proudly "We" Stand (2001) by George Wolffe. The print begins with the original pen-and-ink drawing by Wolffe titled Big Apple, depicting an apple with the skin peeled back to reveal the iconic structures of the New York City skyline, including the Brooklyn Bridge, the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, the U.N. Building, and the Twin Towers in the center. The background of the skyline includes the colored addition of an American flag. Below the apple, the phrase "Proudly 'We' Stand" is printed.

Historical Notes

New York artist, George Wolffe (b.1947), was born in Brooklyn and raised in Blue Point, Long Island. Although he experimented with different media, Wolffe would eventually develop a preference for pen and ink, in a style best described as pointillism.

In the late 1970s, after living in Florida for a while, Wolffe returned to New York and began sketching iconic New York City landmarks. He printed these images on stationery sold at airports and giftshops. Wolffe's Big Apple drawing is comprised of separate sketches which he collaged together. Each component—the apple, its petal, and the various New York City icons—was drawn independently and assembled piecemeal. The final product, copyrighted in 1982, took the artist several years to complete. In the aftermath of 9/11, Wolffe updated his traditional design by adding an American flag to the background and the phrase “Proudly We Stand” at the bottom.