Serigraphs

In 1979, my father began focusing on serigraphs.  As the demand for his work grew, collectors were asking for larger and more colorful pieces in addition to his lithographs.  He worked daily sketching and preparing canvases for original paintings and pastels but could only complete an average of 3 pieces per month.  Most were purchased in advance and never available to the public. 

Like Lithography, creating a serigraph is a very labor-intensive, hands-on artistic procedure that requires many weeks to be completed.  My father created images exclusively for his serigraphs. Every color in a serigraph is separated.  In the 80's, this was all done by hand (now computers are part of the process). Emanuel Schary's serigraphs ranged from 15-21 colors (listed in his catalog). A 21-color serigraph took months to complete.  All Emanuel Schary serigraphs are signed and numbered and have his seal, guaranteeing there will never be more than the original designated number.  Emanuel Schary's serigraph editions were always small (300 pieces).

Serigraphs and lithographs are different.  A lithograph is made on a stone plate, whereas a serigraph uses a silkscreen.  Serigraphs feature more textures and colors than lithographs because of how they are made. Serigraphs became popular in the 1960s and sell at auction houses for tens of millions of dollars today.  They are also in collections of the most prestigious art museums in the world.  

Serigraphs are different from machine-made posters.