Celestial Cities

The works are created in a process Fleck describes as “fusing tradition and sci-fi technology”, reflecting the subject matter of the images themselves.

To create the detail and texture he wanted, the works are printed by hand, but using laser-engraved wooden boards.

Fleck explains: “Earlier this year I experimented with a method that was entirely new to me – wood block printing…The results were tactile and beautiful, and I wanted to develop the method further.

“The printing process involves laser engraving my artwork onto wooden board, which then acts as a master block for all the prints. Inks are spread over the block, and each print is pressed by hand to produce the print.”

Each of the nine imagined cities in the print series represents a different celestial body, with the cityscape’s architectural style drawing on the Classical mythology surrounding each planet or star.

Fleck, an architecture graduate, has previously created pieces inspired by the city, but this new project also incorporated his love of the novel Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino, which he says he has “read and re-read it dozens of times”.

“My love of architecture and art have met as I’ve been illustrating different cities, real and imaginary,” he says.

“With this project I’ve taken things to a whole new level, looking beyond earth and imagining cities scattered out in space.”

Each print is created in an edition of 100. To find out more about the project and to support it click here