Book Bombs, the Political Print, and the Democratic Multiple

It's been a busy winter and early spring, full of activity and lacking in blog entries! The energy around printmaking has been incredible over the past few months as roughly 80 institutions around Philadelphia partnered in showcasing printmaking as part of Philagrafika2010. I was pleased to participate as part of Book Bombs, an ongoing collaboration between Michelle Wilson and myself. We peppered city parks and other public spaces with a series of prints, culminating in a zine. The prints were made using carved salvaged woodblocks and old wood and metal type on paper we made using invasive weeds harvested from empty urban lots. We were fortunate to inspire some young zinesters encountered in the park, garner some good press, and to find some of our prints holding on for weeks through blizzards and rain storms. You can see project documentation at the Book Bombs website and blog.

This weekend, I will have the Rifle Cookies zine on display alongside Book Bombs work as part of Acting Out, a one-night only exhibition put together by Homeskooled Gallery, and on view from 7-11pm Saturday night, April 10, at 131 S 50th St. in West Philadelphia. Michelle and I will also be discussing Book Bombs as part of the Plays & Players On Stage Philadelphia event this coming Monday, April 12. The program starts at 7pm at 1714 Delancey Place, and features a line-up of short performing arts pieces. We will be displaying the full suite of Book Bombs prints on site that evening.

The Southern Graphics Council Conference was held in Philadelphia at the end of March. Michelle and I were busy distributing Book Bombs Zine #1: Rooted Within in our most ambitious Philly print bombing to date. We also gave out copies at a release party as part of a reception for the Extra-Dimensional print show at Nexus Gallery. As part of the official conference program, I had the pleasure of sharing the papermaking studio at the University of the Arts (where I spent many hours as a grad student) with the printmaking community in a demonstration of image editioning techniques in pigmented paper pulp. Additionally, I was treated to the company of Libby Clarke, Jesse Goldstein, and Favianna Rodriguez in a panel I moderated entitled Resisting the Remarque. These three individuals brought their distinct approaches to engaging with the activist print and its history to this discussion of how political print work fits into both the realm of contemporary printmaking and the sociopolitical landscape.

I contributed some coverage of Philagrafika and Southern Graphics Council Conference activities to the blog Printeresting this spring and additionally participated in the Democratic Multiples exhibition curated by Lara Henderson and Mandy Dunn at the University of the Arts Book Arts/Printmaking program.

Right now I have the slightest opportunity to breath springtime in and enjoy my West Philadelphia neighborhood. Then, look for news in the coming months on Book Bombs activity in Baltimore.....