ABOUT GEORGE JO MESS
In 1972, for my birthday, a friend had given me an original aquatint etching by American artist George Jo Mess (1898-1962). The subject matter in this etching is Christ Church Cathedral, located on Monument Circle, Indianapolis, Indiana–which is located in the geographical center of Old Indianapolis, which, in turn, is located in the center of the State of Indiana.
George Jo Mess was an outstanding aquatint etcher from Indiana & during his lifetime has his work was exhibited in many national & international shows, including the Metropolitan Museum, Carnegie Institute, Pennsylvania Academy, Art Institute of Chicago & Art Expositions of Paris, Rome, and Stockholm. He won many awards for his paintings & prints.
Examples of his work are reproduced in the book on COMPOSITION In Landscape & Still Life by Ernest W. Watson. Mr Mess successfully conveyed the peaceful moods of early rural life through his prints which are included in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan, Cleveland & Dayton Art Museums, and the Library of Congress.
By 2013, my aquatint etching (which I had professionally framed by Lyman Brothers, Indianapolis) was in dire need of a new matting. The frame was in perfectly fine condition, but the matting had turned from yellow & was starting to become pastel brown! I went to Derek Hargrove @ BACK TO THE PICTURE, explained my needs.
BEFORE MATTING RESTORATION
As you can see, age had not been kind to the matting, even though I had taken care to keep it from being exposed to direct light all the years I had displayed this work. It needed the expertise of a curator who understood matting & art conservation.
DURING-CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL AS IT APPEARS NOW: 2013
Christ Church Cathedral as it appears today, 2013.
And now, after the superb work done by Derek Hargrove of Back To The Picture, the work looks splendid. It’s like having it new all over again. This is the art of proper curating & display. It does not get better than this.
Thomas Outt 