In 1966, artist Eugene Feldman was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship to research photo-offset lithography. Feldman’s artwork that year included this image of a turkey, created for his “Spot Book, A Portfolio of Animal Prints.” The work was published by the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

In his work, Feldman tried to use printmaking presses as extensions of his hands and talent.

“I try to use the machine as a painter does his brushes,” Feldman said. My inks are my paints and the paper my canvas. In graphics, as in any other craft or art, respect for the materials is necessary. I think this respect leads to a desire to learn what the juxtaposition of type, line, color space and photography can create.”

This and other images from the project are included in the collection of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Sheldon Museum of Art. The images were a gift of Harold Diamond.

The proud turkey is a 22 1/4 by 31 9/16 inch photo-set lithograph. You can view it and other images from the “Spot Book” by searching the Sheldon Museum of Art’s collection online.