1968 Hoyt Serigraph Pictorial Map of the Virgin Islands

This is a c. 1960 G. Hoyt serigraph pictorial map of the Virgin Islands. Hoyt's playful map depicts parts of the U.S. Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands, including St. John, Tortola, and Virgin Gorda. The Sir Francis Drake Channel, Salt Island Passage, the Winward Passage, The Narrows, and Pillsbury Sound appear. The overall motif evokes the bygone era of pirates and privateers, sacking ships for their wealth, and then burying it in great chests. Two large sailing ships ply the waters of the Caribbean Sea, and the Atlantic Ocean and cannons adorn the top right and left corners. Spanish doubloons decorate the bottom border. A treasure chest, a cutlass, and an anchor in the lower right corner suggest both the great wealth and violence associated with piracy.

Serigraphy

Serigraphy, a method of silkscreen printing, produces serigraphs. Silkscreening's roots can be traced back to ancient China and Japan, where a technique of applying stencils to fabrics and screens originated. Modern fine art serigraphy was born in the mid-1930s when a group of Works Progress Administration (WPA) artists recognized silkscreening's potential as an art form. Serigraphy is a forgiving form of printmaking; it's easy to master and adaptable. An artist applies a stencil to a material, usually a fabric, and applies color to the desired portions of the stencil. Each color is applied separately, and the process can take weeks or longer for a complex piece to be complete. Serigraphy became popular in the 1960s when artists such as Josef Albers, Robert Rauschenberg, and Andy Warhol began producing serigraphs.

Publication History and Census

This map was drawn by G. Hoyt and published c. 1960. We have located only one other known example, held privately.