The Graphic Conscience was inspired in part by the theme of the upcoming festival, Philagrafika 2010, the Graphic Unconscious. Around the world, biennials and international festivals are being launched, focusing over and over again on the same artists, the same curators, the same patrons, the same conversations. In the mind, there are several levels of awareness. Since Philagrafika has chosen to explore the unconscious applications of printed matter and contribute to establishing hierarchy in a democratic medium (which sounds more along the lines of ego), the Graphic Conscience will serve as a whisper in their ear, reminding them of printmaking's democratic origins. I have great hopes for Philagrafika, yet I fear that the art world/market will pressure them to get caught up in biennialist politics. This would result in their presenting few new discoveries among the artistic offerings, while simultaneously neglecting the Philadelphia print community that has supported them since their beginnings as the Philadelphia Print Collaborative.
Acting as an unseen presence in the printmaking community and the city of Philadelphia, this project, launched in the egalitarian world of the internet, will serve to discuss and critique the graphic arts and its hybrid forms. In the wake of the Graphic Conscience will appear printed ephemera directing those who discover these remains to this blog. Here they are invited to read, comment, and continue these dialogues.
1 comment:
I agree with you, and wait with baited breath to see how the festival turns out. Philagrafika née the Philadelphia Print Collaborative has done great things over the years, and I hope they don't succumb to pressures from the art market and major funders (did someone say Pew?) to just trot out the usual artworld suspects. That RePrint project they did last year used 'stars' and left me cold.
Some of us really miss the sense of community that the Print Collaborative used to embrace. What they're doing now is also important, but let's hope they can re-adjust the balance so us locals don't get left out...
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