Serenade in Silver is an exceptional example of Jack Sher’s patented Monostructure process, a rare hybrid technique that combines drawing, relief textures, and controlled chemical reactions. Created by New York artist Jack Sher (1934–2000)—a Cooper Union graduate and Wanamaker Medal recipient—this 24×16-inch limited edition (21/100) was acquired in New York City and reflects the peak of Sher’s technical innovation.
The artwork features a shimmering forest of dendritic, tree-like forms, each built from thousands of micro-raised silver cells that change appearance with shifting light. Sher’s Monostructure method begins with a freehand drawing on Mylar, hand-built 1/8-inch partitions, and the application of 26 custom-developed chemicals that evolve over a three-week catalytic process.
Collectors of abstract minimalism, experimental printmaking, metallic-surface works, and mid-century New York art will find Sher’s Monostructures uniquely compelling. Rare, technically masterful, and visually hypnotic, this piece stands as a landmark example of 20th-century American material innovation.
This striking 24×16-inch work by Jack Sher exemplifies his groundbreaking technique known as Monostructure, a rare and highly technical process that merges drawing, chemistry, and relief-like surface architecture. Printed on shimmering metallic paper, the composition presents an abstracted forest of branching, tree-like forms—each rendered with thousands of minute, raised, silver-textured cells that catch the light at different angles. The resulting surface resembles a hybrid between a drawing, an etching, and a micro-sculpture.
The fine branching structures evoke patterns found in nature—coral, frost, dendritic crystal formations, or winter forests—yet the work retains a strong geometric unity rooted in Sher’s masterful control of the medium. The reflective silver substrate enhances the play of light, creating shifting highlights as the viewer moves across the piece.
Editioned 21/100 and signed Jack Sher, this artwork is part of the period when Sher developed Monostructure into its mature form, during the late 1960s–1970s in New York City. Works of this caliber were often sold through NYC galleries, design houses, and private exhibitions catering to collectors seeking technically avant-garde, limited-edition works.
Cooper Union School of Art • Wanamaker Medal Recipient • Inventor of “Monostructure”
Born: 1934, New York City
Died: 2000
Nationality: American
Training: Cooper Union School of Art, New York (Scholarship recipient; Wanamaker Medal)
Known for: Monostructure (original technique), experimental chemical art, relief-based abstraction, mylar-based compositions
Active: 1950s–1990s, primarily in NYC
Jack Sher was an American artist and inventor best known for creating Monostructure, an innovative process integrating fine drawing with chemical reactions to produce complex, textured surfaces. Sher studied at the prestigious Cooper Union School of Art in New York City, where he received the distinguished Wanamaker Medal—an award reserved for exceptional talent and academic excellence.
A relentless experimenter, Sher spent years refining a method that blended art and chemistry. His Monostructure pieces began as freehand drawings on Mylar, chosen for its resistance to the dramatic chemical transformations that followed. Sher built the compositions by raising detailed lines approximately 1/8 inch high, forming thousands of tiny partitioned areas—each capable of undergoing its own micro-reaction.
Sher then introduced 26 custom-formulated chemicals, poured into these microcells. Over a painstaking three-week catalytic process, the chemicals reacted, expanded, contracted, crystallized, or transformed depending on Sher’s control of temperature, humidity, and timing. The result: textured, shimmering surfaces that behave like living structures frozen in time.
His work was shown in New York galleries and collected by architects, designers, and avant-garde art patrons who valued his rare fusion of engineering, science, and fine art. Sher’s Monostructures are now recognized as an important chapter in the history of experimental American printmaking and material-driven art.
Jack Sher (American, 1934–2000)
Serenade in Silver
Monostructure, 24 × 16 in.
Edition: 21/100, signed lower right.
Highly detailed metallic-surface work created using Sher’s proprietary chemical-catalytic process. Acquired in NYC.
Artist: Jack Sher (American, 1934–2000)
Title:Serenade in Silver
Medium: Monostructure (Chemical-Catalytic Relief Process)
Dimensions: 24 × 16 inches
Edition: 21/100
Signature: Signed “Jack Sher” lower right
Period: c. 1970s–1980s
Artist Background: Graduate of Cooper Union School of Art; Wanamaker Medal recipient; exhibited in NYC; inventor of the Monostructure process incorporating custom chemical reactions and detailed partitioned Mylar drawing.
Condition: Excellent; no lifting, discoloration, or chemical deterioration observed.
Provenance: Acquired in New York City; private U.S. collection.
Jack Sher Studio, NYC (Artist)
Acquired in New York City (Original Sale)
Private Collection, United States
Current Owner (You)
MONOSTRUCTURE: The Alchemy of Art by Jack Sher
Dive into the captivating world of MONOSTRUCTURE, a pioneering creative process birthed by the innovative artist Jack Sher. This distinctive method begins with freehand sketches on mylar—a choice as bold as the art itself, since its resilience outlasts traditional paper under the chemical dance unfolding on its surface. Sher meticulously outlines each composition with 1/8th-inch high lines, delineating a mesmerizing grid of partitioned areas ready to be transformed.
The magic truly begins as 26 carefully concocted chemicals, born from Sher's tireless experimentation, fill these segments. Over three weeks, a catalytic action breathes life into the design, evolving and shifting in a meticulously controlled manner.
The pièce de résistance? Color is added with loving precision, and every piece is signed and sequentially numbered, yet each work stands as a singular expression—no two pieces are ever truly alike in the same series. MONOSTRUCTURE encapsulates the essence of artistic alchemy, where science meets creativity, resulting in art that is as intriguing as it is visually stunning. Immerse yourself in this unique journey where chemistry and creativity collide!
Serenade in Silver is an exceptional example of Jack Sher’s patented Monostructure process, a rare hybrid technique that combines drawing, relief textures, and controlled chemical reactions. Created by New York artist Jack Sher (1934–2000)—a Cooper Union graduate and Wanamaker Medal recipient—this 24×16-inch limited edition (21/100) was acquired in New York City and reflects the peak of Sher’s technical innovation.
The artwork features a shimmering forest of dendritic, tree-like forms, each built from thousands of micro-raised silver cells that change appearance with shifting light. Sher’s Monostructure method begins with a freehand drawing on Mylar, hand-built 1/8-inch partitions, and the application of 26 custom-developed chemicals that evolve over a three-week catalytic process.
Collectors of abstract minimalism, experimental printmaking, metallic-surface works, and mid-century New York art will find Sher’s Monostructures uniquely compelling. Rare, technically masterful, and visually hypnotic, this piece stands as a landmark example of 20th-century American material innovation.
This striking 24×16-inch work by Jack Sher exemplifies his groundbreaking technique known as Monostructure, a rare and highly technical process that merges drawing, chemistry, and relief-like surface architecture. Printed on shimmering metallic paper, the composition presents an abstracted forest of branching, tree-like forms—each rendered with thousands of minute, raised, silver-textured cells that catch the light at different angles. The resulting surface resembles a hybrid between a drawing, an etching, and a micro-sculpture.
The fine branching structures evoke patterns found in nature—coral, frost, dendritic crystal formations, or winter forests—yet the work retains a strong geometric unity rooted in Sher’s masterful control of the medium. The reflective silver substrate enhances the play of light, creating shifting highlights as the viewer moves across the piece.
Editioned 21/100 and signed Jack Sher, this artwork is part of the period when Sher developed Monostructure into its mature form, during the late 1960s–1970s in New York City. Works of this caliber were often sold through NYC galleries, design houses, and private exhibitions catering to collectors seeking technically avant-garde, limited-edition works.
Cooper Union School of Art • Wanamaker Medal Recipient • Inventor of “Monostructure”
Born: 1934, New York City
Died: 2000
Nationality: American
Training: Cooper Union School of Art, New York (Scholarship recipient; Wanamaker Medal)
Known for: Monostructure (original technique), experimental chemical art, relief-based abstraction, mylar-based compositions
Active: 1950s–1990s, primarily in NYC
Jack Sher was an American artist and inventor best known for creating Monostructure, an innovative process integrating fine drawing with chemical reactions to produce complex, textured surfaces. Sher studied at the prestigious Cooper Union School of Art in New York City, where he received the distinguished Wanamaker Medal—an award reserved for exceptional talent and academic excellence.
A relentless experimenter, Sher spent years refining a method that blended art and chemistry. His Monostructure pieces began as freehand drawings on Mylar, chosen for its resistance to the dramatic chemical transformations that followed. Sher built the compositions by raising detailed lines approximately 1/8 inch high, forming thousands of tiny partitioned areas—each capable of undergoing its own micro-reaction.
Sher then introduced 26 custom-formulated chemicals, poured into these microcells. Over a painstaking three-week catalytic process, the chemicals reacted, expanded, contracted, crystallized, or transformed depending on Sher’s control of temperature, humidity, and timing. The result: textured, shimmering surfaces that behave like living structures frozen in time.
His work was shown in New York galleries and collected by architects, designers, and avant-garde art patrons who valued his rare fusion of engineering, science, and fine art. Sher’s Monostructures are now recognized as an important chapter in the history of experimental American printmaking and material-driven art.
Jack Sher (American, 1934–2000)
Serenade in Silver
Monostructure, 24 × 16 in.
Edition: 21/100, signed lower right.
Highly detailed metallic-surface work created using Sher’s proprietary chemical-catalytic process. Acquired in NYC.
Artist: Jack Sher (American, 1934–2000)
Title:Serenade in Silver
Medium: Monostructure (Chemical-Catalytic Relief Process)
Dimensions: 24 × 16 inches
Edition: 21/100
Signature: Signed “Jack Sher” lower right
Period: c. 1970s–1980s
Artist Background: Graduate of Cooper Union School of Art; Wanamaker Medal recipient; exhibited in NYC; inventor of the Monostructure process incorporating custom chemical reactions and detailed partitioned Mylar drawing.
Condition: Excellent; no lifting, discoloration, or chemical deterioration observed.
Provenance: Acquired in New York City; private U.S. collection.
Jack Sher Studio, NYC (Artist)
Acquired in New York City (Original Sale)
Private Collection, United States
Current Owner (You)
MONOSTRUCTURE: The Alchemy of Art by Jack Sher
Dive into the captivating world of MONOSTRUCTURE, a pioneering creative process birthed by the innovative artist Jack Sher. This distinctive method begins with freehand sketches on mylar—a choice as bold as the art itself, since its resilience outlasts traditional paper under the chemical dance unfolding on its surface. Sher meticulously outlines each composition with 1/8th-inch high lines, delineating a mesmerizing grid of partitioned areas ready to be transformed.
The magic truly begins as 26 carefully concocted chemicals, born from Sher's tireless experimentation, fill these segments. Over three weeks, a catalytic action breathes life into the design, evolving and shifting in a meticulously controlled manner.
The pièce de résistance? Color is added with loving precision, and every piece is signed and sequentially numbered, yet each work stands as a singular expression—no two pieces are ever truly alike in the same series. MONOSTRUCTURE encapsulates the essence of artistic alchemy, where science meets creativity, resulting in art that is as intriguing as it is visually stunning. Immerse yourself in this unique journey where chemistry and creativity collide!
