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Signal: 05: A Journal of International Political Graphics & Culture
Signal is an ongoing book series dedicated to documenting and sharing compelling graphics, art projects, and cultural movements of international resistance and liberation struggles. Artists and cultural workers have been at the center of upheavals and revolts the world over, from the painters and poets in the Paris Commune to the poster-makers and street-theatre performers of the Occupy movement. Signal brings these artists and their work to a new audience, digging deep through our common history to unearth their images and stories. Within its pages you will find political posters and fine arts, comics and murals, street art, site-specific works, zines, art collectives, documentation of performances, and articles on the often-overlooked but essential roles all of these have played in struggles around the world.
176 pages, Paperback
Published September 1, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 15, 2018
I stumbled upon this heretofore-unknown-to-me periodical (this is the 2016 edition) while browsing the "Art" section offerings on Freading, having no idea what to expect other than a vague sense that there would be examples of graphic design as utilized in politics. And it was indeed that, but those of delicate sensibilities should be forewarned that the politics espoused are often of the extremely leftist variety. So while there are garden-variety Occupiers and anti-nuke protesters, there are also a lot of socialists and anarchists within as well. (This was unexpected on my part, which I hope the FBI or any other agency about to put me on a watchlist of political radicals will kindly take note of.)
That being said, the six articles in this issue were as follows:
The Club De Grabado De Montevideo: CGM was an Uruguayan anti-capitalist printmaking collective that existed for 40 years, including during the years of the brutal dictatorship in the country. The woodcuts they produced were bold and striking, and their history was fascinating.
Three Print Collectives: A set of interviews with three different collectives in three different countries. A3BC (Antiwar, Antinuclear, and Arts of Block-print Collective) in Japan collaboratively creates stunningly large grouped woodblock prints and participates in exhibits and activist activities as well as hosts workshops. Malaysia's Pangrok Sulap does not only block printing, but also other handcrafts, and focuses on local charity work. Their printmaking spans all levels of talent and experience. Finally, Friends of Ibn Firnas in Baltimore, MD (USA) are a group of visual artists who started at the Maryland Institute College of Art, and are involved with Occupy, Black Lives Matter, environmental issues, and labor struggles. Unlike with the other two collectives, other types of art besides their printmaking was shown. The interviews were actually pretty dull; the same set of questions were given to all three organizations, and it was obviously just a single-round email exchange.
Survival By Sharing–Printing Over Profit: Come!Unity Press was a queer, anarchist collective printshop located in lower Manhattan in the 1970s. This was an interview with one of the people involved early on, and frankly, it sounded like a really toxic environment. They worked solely from donations and allowed anyone whose projects they approved (and promised they would not sell any of it) to use their shop (including supplies) for free. They wanted to keep a very non-commercial, DIY vibe, but they seemed to go totally overboard with the concept – all the work reproduced in the article just looked sloppy and unappealing.
The Pyramid's Reign: This article was an examination of the various depictions of the social "pyramid" as a visual representation of economic inequality, and multiple versions were depicted from various countries, some dating back over a hundred years. The historical aspect of the article was comprehensive, but the conclusion – in which author Eric Triantafillou argues that the fabric of economic inequality is actually much more intricate and more like a giant network than a mere pyramid – is short and hasty.
Empty Forms–Occupied Homes: PAH (English translation: Platform for People Affected by Mortgages) is a housing rights social movement in Spain, who took the unique approach of using very mainstream graphic design so as to attract mainstream support (that housing is a fundamental right) in an otherwise conservative society. They've been criticized by other radical organizations for their clean, corporate-looking logos and identity graphics, but the approach is gaining traction.
Discs of the Gun: Delving into great detail about a collector's stack of Italian leftish political folk albums, this article was as esoteric as it sounds, so I only skimmed it (and understood little). Some of the album covers were interesting though, although nothing I would consider high art.
As usual with these non-Kindle electronic conversions made for library services such as Hoopla and Freading, the image conversion SUCKED, so the viewing of the artwork was greatly hampered. However, that's not the publication's fault, so I'm not going to deduct stars.
I may browse the previous editions Freading has available, because even though the art did not knock my socks off, I did learn some things about the many, many, MANY different schools of anarchy that exist. Who knew?
That being said, the six articles in this issue were as follows:
The Club De Grabado De Montevideo: CGM was an Uruguayan anti-capitalist printmaking collective that existed for 40 years, including during the years of the brutal dictatorship in the country. The woodcuts they produced were bold and striking, and their history was fascinating.
Three Print Collectives: A set of interviews with three different collectives in three different countries. A3BC (Antiwar, Antinuclear, and Arts of Block-print Collective) in Japan collaboratively creates stunningly large grouped woodblock prints and participates in exhibits and activist activities as well as hosts workshops. Malaysia's Pangrok Sulap does not only block printing, but also other handcrafts, and focuses on local charity work. Their printmaking spans all levels of talent and experience. Finally, Friends of Ibn Firnas in Baltimore, MD (USA) are a group of visual artists who started at the Maryland Institute College of Art, and are involved with Occupy, Black Lives Matter, environmental issues, and labor struggles. Unlike with the other two collectives, other types of art besides their printmaking was shown. The interviews were actually pretty dull; the same set of questions were given to all three organizations, and it was obviously just a single-round email exchange.
Survival By Sharing–Printing Over Profit: Come!Unity Press was a queer, anarchist collective printshop located in lower Manhattan in the 1970s. This was an interview with one of the people involved early on, and frankly, it sounded like a really toxic environment. They worked solely from donations and allowed anyone whose projects they approved (and promised they would not sell any of it) to use their shop (including supplies) for free. They wanted to keep a very non-commercial, DIY vibe, but they seemed to go totally overboard with the concept – all the work reproduced in the article just looked sloppy and unappealing.
The Pyramid's Reign: This article was an examination of the various depictions of the social "pyramid" as a visual representation of economic inequality, and multiple versions were depicted from various countries, some dating back over a hundred years. The historical aspect of the article was comprehensive, but the conclusion – in which author Eric Triantafillou argues that the fabric of economic inequality is actually much more intricate and more like a giant network than a mere pyramid – is short and hasty.
Empty Forms–Occupied Homes: PAH (English translation: Platform for People Affected by Mortgages) is a housing rights social movement in Spain, who took the unique approach of using very mainstream graphic design so as to attract mainstream support (that housing is a fundamental right) in an otherwise conservative society. They've been criticized by other radical organizations for their clean, corporate-looking logos and identity graphics, but the approach is gaining traction.
Discs of the Gun: Delving into great detail about a collector's stack of Italian leftish political folk albums, this article was as esoteric as it sounds, so I only skimmed it (and understood little). Some of the album covers were interesting though, although nothing I would consider high art.
As usual with these non-Kindle electronic conversions made for library services such as Hoopla and Freading, the image conversion SUCKED, so the viewing of the artwork was greatly hampered. However, that's not the publication's fault, so I'm not going to deduct stars.
I may browse the previous editions Freading has available, because even though the art did not knock my socks off, I did learn some things about the many, many, MANY different schools of anarchy that exist. Who knew?
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July 8, 2021Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews