Southern Cross Constellation Screenprint | Allison & Jonathan Metzger (IA)

The Southern Cross is the smallest of the 88 constellations and one of the most useful: four bright stars set in a tilted cross that sailors in the southern hemisphere have used for centuries to find their way toward the south celestial pole. Here the cross is drawn in pale silvery white, with a smaller fifth star tucked into its lower quadrant, floating in a square of sky that fades from deep indigo at the top to a soft cornflower blue below, dusted with tiny stars and finished with softly ragged edges.

It flies on the flags of Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, and Samoa, yet from most of the United States it stays tucked below the horizon. Allison & Jonathan Metzger hand-drew and hand-printed the piece using the silkscreen process, and each print is numbered, titled, and initialed in pencil beneath the image. The stars are printed with phosphorescent ink that absorbs light and gives off a gentle glow in the dark, subtle at first and brighter after a quick charge from a lamp or flashlight. The square format gives it a grounded presence on its own, and it sits naturally beside the other constellations in the series for a grouped wall.

A little piece of a sky most of us have never seen, and a good gift for anyone with a southern-hemisphere story.

Product Details
• Made by / Designed by: Allison & Jonathan Metzger
• Type: Silkscreen art print
• Edition: Hand-numbered limited edition of 250
• Finish/Surface: Phosphorescent ink (stars)
• Dimensions: Artwork size 8" x 8" (approx. 20.3 x 20.3 cm); fits frame 8" x 8"
• Country of Origin: United States

Color may vary slightly depending on screen settings.