A favorite return‑print: a published prose line, an original night photograph, and a vintage film–poster design that reads like a small cinematic confession.
All Original Photography, Design, & Prose
Archival giclée print on heavyweight, acid‑free matte paper
Available sizes: 8×10 in and 16×20 in
Designed to look like a vintage film poster — bold black field, centered night photograph, elegant type treatment
Includes a featured prose line from a published poem by Michael de la Guerra (printed on the poster)
FATAL MASTERPIECE began as a photograph of a single figure under a distant light and a line of prose I couldn't stop hearing in my head. I combined both into a poster that reads like an old movie ad—big title, dramatic negative space, and a center image that feels like a still from a film you half remember. The printed prose line—taken from a published poem—anchors the image as story rather than landscape: an elegy to new beginnings that somehow yield the same tragic ends. Collectors cite this piece as a repeat favorite for its cinematic mood and the way it turns text into the scene’s moral center.
Featuring All Original Prose by Michael de la Guerra:
She had perfected the art of new beginnings but could never prevent the fantastically fatal endings of which they were born;
Hidden in the rubble of each disaster were the shards of glass that would make up her mosaic masterpiece.
Details
Title: FATAL MASTERPIECE
Medium: Archival giclée print on heavyweight matte paper (artist photograph + original prose)
Sizes: 8×10 in; 16×20 in
Year: 2020 (original photograph + design)
Surface: Acid‑free, museum-grade paper
Orientation: Vertical (portrait)
Subject: Vintage film–poster style; photographic nocturne; poetic prose line
Styles: Typographic poster; Cinematic / Filmic; Photographic noir; Minimalist graphic; Poetic text art; Vintage-inspired; Black & white design
Signed: Yes — signed editions available on request
Framing: Not framed (ready to frame or float); framed options available on request
Authenticity: Certificate available for signed editions
Outdoor Safe: No
Framing & Care
Ships rolled in a protective tube; if framed, ships flat in a box with corner protection.
Frame under UV protective glazing to preserve contrast and paper tones.
Clean frames with a soft, dry cloth; avoid direct sunlight and high humidity.
If you plan to float the poster, choose archival mounting or a conservation mat to prevent adhesion.
Perfect For
Readers and collectors who love lyric and image together
Home libraries, reading nooks, and moody living rooms
Office walls for writers, photographers, and filmmakers
Gift for lovers of vintage design, noir photography, or poetry
Shipping & Returns
All prints are upon ordering from a local film lab here in Los Angeles.
This means it can take up to 14 business days for your print to arrive, depending on demand.
However, it usually only takes about 5-7 days.
Shipping rates are calculated at checkout and based on USPS priority mail flat rates.
Original pieces are final sale items and ineligible for return.
Prints are eligible for return within 30 days with reasonable cause.
This excludes various free print offers which state that if you are unsatisfied with a product given away as part of a promotion (e.g. you receive a free print so long as you pay for shipping) you can keep it and be refunded for shipping costs. Please check the guarantee statement on special offer and checkout pages.
FATAL MASTERPIECE collapses image and line into a single, cinematic object: a night photograph that reads like a still, and a prose line that functions as the scene’s moral. It’s a small, dramatic poster that feels at home in moody interiors and bookshelves where language is as important as the picture. Add the original to your collection for a piece that has become a quiet classic among returning buyers.
FATAL MASTERPIECE collapses image and line into a single, cinematic object: a night photograph that reads like a still, and a prose line that functions as the scene’s moral. It’s a small, dramatic poster that feels at home in moody interiors and bookshelves where language is as important as the picture. Add the original to your collection for a piece that has become a quiet classic among returning buyers.
These are stunning. Always impressed by your artistic endeavors, and your commitment to quality and how it almost becomes a characteristic of the art. Bravo, Michael.
Seanette AKA @the.little.b.haus
Fellow Poet
Incredible. I love how you incorporated your poetic talent into a larger format. It's really great. I love each piece you sent me, and I even bought a few more for my sister.
Jamie Caroccio
Copywriter, Writing Teacher, and Fellow Poet
These are F***ING gorgeous. I wasn't expecting this at all. I am blown away.
Casey M.
Fellow Poet and Author of 4 Poetry Collections
Michael, these are so beautiful, thank you. I mean, I "knew" you cared about quality but these prints are beautiful.
Alicia I.
Writer in Long Beach
Excellent stuff, sir. You are great at combining visuals with words, just as you are at designing them both separately. And the print quality is superb.
Sonny C.
Los Angeles
Omg, I love these floral prints so much. Thank you for the extra set. They're all so beautiful and your poetry is amazing. I'm so glad I own one of your very first art prints to ever go on sale!
Windy Z.
Los Angeles
Never surprised by the the thought you put into every detail down to the material these are printed on, but I am always surprised by the artistic ingenuity in your work. These will live with me and the fam wherever we go.
Max O.
Los Angeles
I wish my girlfriend looked at me the way she looks at the prints I bought her. Not sure how to feel, but thank you for the surprise bonuses, and regardless of my envy, your commitment to quality deserves credit.
Ben S.
Hollywood (My Neighbor in Case You're Wondering)
Michael de la Guerra is an artist and a retired freelance writer who--under the name Michael Lopez--has been featured as a case study in the Harvard Business Review, published in The Huffington Post, banned from writing for Buzzfeed (long story), and featured as an expert in Fast Company, The Wall Street Journal, and more. He’s ghostwritten for NFL players and bank CEOs alike but remains at the mercy of NDAs signed during a decade-long copywriting career working with sought-after digital marketing agencies on high-converting campaigns for some of the largest names in business. He works in academia now and spends his creative energy on visual art and poetry.
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