Paper Politics: Socially Engaged Printmaking Today

by Josh MacPhee (Editor)

Paper Socially Engaged Printmaking Today is a major collection of contemporary politically and socially engaged printmaking. This full-color book showcases print art that uses themes of social justice and global equity to engage community members in political conversation. Based on an art exhibition that has traveled to a dozen cities in North America, Paper Politics features artwork by over 200 international artists; an eclectic collection of work by both activist and non-activist printmakers who have felt the need to respond to the monumental trends and events of our times. Paper Politics presents a breathtaking tour of the many modalities of printing by relief, intaglio, lithography, serigraph, collagraph, monotype, and photography. In addition to these techniques, included are more traditional media used to convey political thought, finely crafted stencils and silk-screens intended for wheat pasting in the street. Artists range from the well established (Sue Coe, Swoon, Carlos Cortez) to the up-and-coming (Favianna Rodriguez, Chris Stain, Nicole Schulman), from street artists (BORF, You Are Beautiful) to rock poster makers (EMEK, Bughouse).

Genres: Art

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

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

[PM Press · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paper Politics: Socially Engaged Printmaking Today is a major collection of contemporary politically and socially engaged printmaking. This full color book showcases print art that uses themes of social justice and global equity to engage community members in political conversation. Based on an art exhibition which has traveled to a dozen cities in North America, Paper Politics features artwork by over 200 international artists; an eclectic collection of work by both activist and non-activist printmakers who have felt the need to respond to the monumental trends and events of our times.

Paper Politics presents a breathtaking tour of the many modalities of printing by hand: relief, intaglio, lithography, serigraph, collagraph, monotype, and photography. In addition to these techniques, included are more traditional media used to convey political thought, finely crafted stencils and silk-screens intended for wheat pasting in the street. Artists range from the well established (Sue Coe, Swoon, Carlos Cortez) to the up-and-coming (Favianna Rodriguez, Chris Stain, Nicole Schulman), from street artists (BORF, You Are Beautiful) to rock poster makers (EMEK, Bughouse).

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

A couple essays on the history and current state of politically relevant prints - intriguing, but nothing terribly deep, and the art is a mixed bag.

[Marc Lucke · Rating 4 out of 5]

The insightful and thought-provoking essays framing this art collection elevate the book beyond its coffee-table heritage: "Paper Politics" is a measured assessment of the fraught intermediate space of political poster art, its past and future, and the role that it can play in shaping discourse within the communities that are both inspiration and canvas. Worthwhile reading.

[Mills College Library]

769.904 P2144 2009

[Jordan A. A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great text for teaching compassionate thinking and social justice content in a printmaking course.