Jerry Di Falco

Whitman and Nurse, Camden, New Jersey, 1890

Oil-based etching ink, 24-karat gold dust,
RivesBFK white paper, Methylcellulose,
and Mulberry bark paper from Thailand.
15" high x 11.25"wide

Artist Statement: I was born in Camden, New Jersey, now the poorest and most barren city in America. Suburban sprawl, pollution, industrial carelessness, and greed did this. Carved on Camden’s City Hall are the poet’s words, “Where There Is No Vision, The People Perish”. Walt Whitman warned us against spoiling the earth in “The Compost” poem, from Leaves of Grass.

 O how can the ground not sicken?
How can you be alive, you growths of spring?
How can you furnish health, you blood of herbs,
roots, orchards, grain?
Are they not continually putting distemper'd corpses
in you?
Is not every continent work'd over and over with sour
dead?

Whitman spent his last years in Camden. My hand-printed intaglio etching is adapted from a photo taken in 1890. It is obvious that the docks by the Delaware River were being spoiled over 100 years ago today.

Bio: Di Falco lives and works in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He has also lived in Camden (NJ), New York City, San Diego, and Madrid (Spain). The full time artist has exhibited his works in 450 shows around the world since 1978. His academic degrees include a B.A. in Fine Arts from Rutgers University and an M.S. in Curatorial Science, from Drexel University. He manually prints and publishes all his original etchings in Philadelphia. He employs a full size, freestanding STAND brand printing press and a large manual STAR WHEEL press. He has been a member of The Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral for over ten years. The following areas inspire him: Archaeology; Architecture; Mysticism; Christian Iconography; Cinema; Politics, History; and Sacred Geometry.

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