Paper Politics: Socially Engaged Printmaking Today

Description

A stunning presentation of print art which showcases the themes of social injustice and global inequality as an inspiration for this deeply politicised medium. Political communication has a long history with printmaking - here, Josh MacPhee selects poignant artworks with the intent to engage readers in a political conversation. The collection features artwork by over 200 international artists in an eclectic collection of work by both activist and non-activist printmakers. However, there work is linked by a thread of reacting to monumental trends and events

Josh MacPhee is a street artist and activist who runs justseeds.org, a radical art distribution project. He is the author of Realizing the Impossible, Reproduce and Revolt!, and Stencil Pirates. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.

"Let's face it, most collections of activist art suck. Either esthetic concerns are front and center and the politics that motivate such creation are pushed to the margin, or politics prevail and artistic quality is an afterthought. With the heart of an activist and the eye of an artist, Josh MacPhee miraculously manages to do justice to both. Paper Politics is singularly impressive." --Stephen Duncombe, author of Dream: Re-imagining Progressive Politics in an Age of Fantasy "For all of those who claim that poster art is dead in the age of YouTube and Blogs, Paper Politics will wheatpaste another message over your computer monitor. This exhibition and book is a testament to the vibrant trajectory of printmaking in the service of social change, including examples of earlier movements and artists as well as the graphics popping up right now. Obscure and familiar subjects are presented with wit, joy, and searing satire, guaranteed to snap your senses and challenge your opinions. It took a village to make this show, and the world will benefit from seeing it." --Lincoln Cushing, author of Revolucion! Cuban Poster Art