Special stamp
Rich Content Section
As part of Swiss Post’s commitment to art, partnerships with “Art in the periphery” events will come under the spotlight in 2022.
But for this special stamp, the artist Monica Ursina Jäger didn’t choose a specific place but instead focused on the theme of meadows. “The design perfectly illustrates the overlap between the natural habitat and cultural achievement,” explains the artist. Meadows are usually created thanks to people and only continue to exist with their help. Art projects have also often been created on meadows in peripheral regions, continuing the dialogue between natural processes and cultural achievement.
The print’s special feature is the colour used: it’s the first stamp ever printed with chlorophyll pigments – in other words the substance responsible for the green colour of plants. This means the stamp is completely natural and ‘living’. The green will change over time depending on the effect of light.
The making-of film below shows how this natural and ‘living’ stamp was produced
Film: This is how the first completely natural and ‘living’ stamp was printed using chlorophyll pigments.
Film: This is how the first completely natural and ‘living’ stamp was printed using chlorophyll pigments.
Art print
In keeping with the theme, a limited run of 200 matching art prints on Rives handmade paper (300 gm2) is available. The art edition by the artist Monica Ursina Jäger doesn’t just explore the theme of nature, but also works with nature itself by using the living material chlorophyll. In collaboration with the lithography studio Thomi Wolfensberger in Zurich, the tradition of lithography was combined with experimental use of natural pigments. The same chlorophyll pigments were used for this art print as for the stamp. In fine overlapping layers, plant-related designs and different concentrations of green deepen to create an organic carpet. Real grass and stems were placed directly on the printing stone. Exposing the art print to sunlight will result in subtle colour changes over time. Nature, time, tradition and the present day are all incorporated into this work of art, innovatively symbolizing the periphery. Each of these works of art is hand-signed and numbered by Monica Ursina Jäger.
The print is supplied unframed. The price is 220 francs, including shipping costs within Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein. Deliveries cannot be made abroad. The art print is available in the PostshopTarget not accessible.
The artist gives us an exclusive insight into the production of the limited-edition art print on Rives handmade paper.
Photo: Valentin Schürz