Realizing the Impossible: Art Against Authority

by Josh MacPhee (editor), Erik Reuland (editor)

Protestors, rows of riot cops, tear gas lobbed into crowds—these are the images that easily flood into the mind when one thinks about a gathering to protest the IMF, the WTO, a meeting of the G8, or the war on Iraq. The movement against corporate globalization has brought anti-authoritarian politics into the forefront of world consciousness, but what do we know—and what have we seen, really—of the cultural and aesthetic sides of these and other rebellions against the status quo? To date, precious little has been written by anarchists and anti-authoritarians about the role of art and culture in society, and in revolutionary movements like these.
Realizing the Impossible is an inclusive and sprawling collection of art and writings that addresses this gap in our understanding of revolutionary movements. Do-it--yourself printmaking, Zapatista video, street art in Argentina’s popular uprisings, radical puppetry, the monuments to Haymarket martyrs, turn-of-the-century Australian Industrial Workers of the World printmakers, illustrator Clifford Harper, and wobbly poet Carlos Cortez are just a few themes in this collection that bridges time and geographical and cultural boundaries.

Genres: Art, Politics, Nonfiction

225 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Josh MacPhee, artist and activist, is the founder of the Justseeds Artists Cooperative, an organization that promotes radical art forms. He is the author of Stencil Pirates: A Global Study of the Street Stencil (2004) and co-edited Realizing the Impossible: Art Against Authority (2007) and Reproduce and Revolt (2008). MacPhee is also the curator of the printmaking exhibition Paper Politics, which has been on tour in the United States since 2004."

Reviews

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my goals for the next (last) decades of my life has been to explore the potential for combining art and radical politics. This book was recommended by my friend Lara (see her excellent reviews in this forum), and it more than lived up to my expectations. Having previously read nothing more than the odd Proudhon or Bakunin quote, and having a less than crystal clear understanding of the range of politics falling under the anarchist/syndicalist banner(s), this book was a wonderful primer. I imagine that even for the more experienced anarchist, this book will provide revelations. There is a pleasing balance between political history/theory and descriptions of anarchist art projects, actions, and collectives. Each chapter is illustrated with lots of photographs of art and action venues and reproductions of the art being discussed. It is international (appropriately) in scope and non-pedantic in tone. I learned about IWW-inspired woodcuts, stencil-making for Argentinian street art, early 60s NYC street theater, the (long) history of protest puppetry, the use of video in Latin American grassroots politics, and noncommercial art exhibition spaces in Denmark. The final section, "Theories", is a varied but always thoughtful and thought-provoking collection which addresses the role of art in anarchist political movements. The final piece, by Cindy Millstein, asks: "What would such a time-space beyond hierarchy, domination, and exploitation look like, and what of an anarchist art then? That is something we need to dream up together, through our various acts of imagining, debating, fighting for, and deciding on that ever-dynamic time-space."

[Lara Messersmith-Glavin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I edited a terrible review of this book that is soon to appear in Perspectives (on Anarchist Theory) magazine. The book deserved better. At the very least, I enjoyed the process of scraping and hacking at the fat left behind by an anonymous writer's muddled ego, and I polished what remained down to a smoother bone.

This is an important text because it was written as a collective project, to fill a gap in existing literature and inquiry. It asks a simple question, and follows it to others: what is the relationship between art and anarchism? Is there an anarchist aesthetic? How can radical art be radical practice? What can we learn from radical art and artists of the past?

This is a collection of essays that begins to answer those questions - it is beautiful, readable, visionary, and necessary. Recommended.

[ivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're an artist/creative person and also have radical/anarchist politics, this is the book for you. I have it on my shelf next to the earlier excellent books "But is it Art? Art as Activism" and "From ACT-UP to the WTO: Urban Protest and Community Building in the Era of Globalization."

It's fantastic, inspiring, and will make your art better.

[Valkyrie Pierce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anarcho collective values fuel this activist art book. Filled with stories of successful anarcho socialist communities and subversive artistic practice. I was inspired!

[Miriam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book felt exciting, inspiring, and challenging at times. Gorgeous art from many different sources. The essay format allowed many different perspectives to be expressed about the connections between radical political activism and art.
The first half of the book focused mostly on printmakers. The second half of the book focused on what the editors termed "interventions" which included video media, street theater, and examples of reclaiming and interacting with public space.
Many of the essays are well researched and the analysis is well thought out. Some of the material is heavily theoretical and some is based on personal experiences and actions. The scope of this book includes many international projects and historical examples to honor and learn from the mistakes and successes of our like minded elder activists.

[Shaun · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, this weekend Erik rails on me for giving the book he co-edited (w/ Josh MacPhee, which isn't clear in the description on this site) only 3 stars. For honesty and clarity's sake, I haven't actually finished the book, so there! The lesson here is to watch what you review when your friends are writers who lurk around book-themed social networking sites checking up on their own work! Geez... at any rate I enjoyed everything I've read so far and I highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in politically motivated artistic practices. Good people came together to make this book happen.

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shameless self-plugs aside, this sprawling anthology of writings and pictures by and about anti-authoritarian art, artists and art movements thickens the bridge between the arts and activism. Highlights include an awesome interview with the late printmaker Carlos Cortez, an exposé on Indonesian print collective Taring Padi, a mindblowing look at radical playground construction in Denmark,and a hilarious history of monuments to the Haymarket Martyrs—both the cops and the eight anarchists for whom May Day's "red root" is celebrated. (And yeah, I wrote a chapter about radical puppetry and I'm interviewed in a chapter about printmakers, so call me up if you want a copy).

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book excited me more than any in recent memory. It's nearly impossible to find clear descriptions and analysis of anarchist art, much less many, many images that were previously inaccessible. Inspiring.

[Amelie · Rating 5 out of 5]

tis da sheet

[Ed Marszewski · Rating 4 out of 5]

in the arsenal of art activism history books.