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Posted by Jason Urban on April 11th, 2010 | 
One person’s recession is another person’s opportunity, right?
A few weeks back while trolling the neighborhood surrounding the University of the Arts for various print-related exhibitions, I happened upon this Pine Street storefront currently occupied by TrickGo. I went inside to have a look and talked with owner Matt Trigaux who has a pretty compelling story to tell about the triumph of the entrepreneurial spirit. Matt started Trickgo back in 2008 as a student at UArts (he’s a junior now and does TrickGo on top of his school work!). It has grown organically since then from dorm room experiment to bonafied small business. Specializing in limited edition t-shirts, prints, and other handmade small-run products, TrickGo is part store, part gallery, and part social scene.
Trigaux works with his immediate community. A lot of his artists are current and former students at UArts as are many of his customers. TrickGo, with it’s local flavor and approachability, is new school “Mom and Pop”. It’s the kind of place that makes you think maybe capitalism isn’t so bad after all.
 Assorted things for sale.
 Poster by Linnea Vegh
Continue reading TrickGo: Youthful Retail
Posted by Jason Urban on March 30th, 2010 | Between the Medium Resistance show in The Ice Box, the Xtra-Dimensional Printmaking show at Nexus, the giant Viking ship in the parking lot, and all the other stuff going on, it’s no surprise that the Crane Arts Building was a zoo on Friday night. Many regulars to the Crane said they had never seen a crowd of that size in fill its cavernous halls and galleries.
 If you were there, maybe you noticed people walking around with a favorite Philadelphia delicacy: cold, soft pretzels. Something of an acquired taste, those pretzels were coming from the basement where visitors were welcomed to the soft launch of the newest force in the Philadelphia print scene: Second State Press. The space is just getting off the ground but they didn’t want to miss the SGC festivities so they printed up a few presses (pictured above), bought some pretzels (pictured below), and opened their doors to let everyone see the future home of their community printshop.
 These aprons were selling for less than $20 and they were going like hotcakes. Everyone knows that printmakers can’t resist a print-related pun. Especially when it’s printed on an apron.
Continue reading A Press is Born
Posted by amze on March 20th, 2010 | 
I recently had the pleasure of checking out the Separation Anxiety show at Space 1026. You can imagine my surprise and disappointment to discover that the gallery was not full of prematurely weened puppies.. but I recovered quickly and found myself in a state print nerd bliss. This sprawling exhibition represents nearly every artist in the large, prolific collective. Each artist has a few pieces, as well as, the process materials used to make the prints: trial proofs, positives, films, sketches, doodles, rubyliths. It’s all here. This is clearly a show for folks who make stuff. And it’s totally full of very generous and revealing source materials and stage prints. And be sure to check out the wall of collaborative test prints, they will claim your attention like only a giant chance procedure of infinitely layered graphics can. If you are a printmaker in town for SGC this should be on your list of places to visit.
There is a rumor that Caitlin Perkins produced this exhibit but all the work she’s been doing for Philagrafika and the SGC conference that can’t possibly be true. Here is the curatorial statement describing the show:
Separations Anxiety, Printmaking At Space 1026 presents the diverse range of prints and printed materials made by the 25+ members of our Philadelphia collective. Fundamental to our creative process, this exhibition exposes our printmaking methods (and madness) presenting finished prints alongside the materials used to make them. Hand cut rubilith, whiteout drawings, photocopies, hand drawn ink positives, and even relief printed acetate; if it is out there, 1026ers have tried it. All this plus test prints, and the of course, the much coveted SUPER RARES. Freaking awesome! Oh and zines, heck yeah. If it’s print related, we’ll be showing it.
Continue reading Separation Anxiety at Space 1026
Posted by amze on March 14th, 2010 | 
We were just sent these great installation photographs of Eva Wylie installing her work at Gallery Joe in Philadephia. The exhibition, titled appropriate manipulate duplicate is a group show of print/digital-related work. With the recent posting about Eva’s work here, I thought it would be fulfilling to see these in progress shots of her site specific screen print work.
The exhibit features the work of William Betts, Gil Kerlin, Ati Maier, Andrew Millner as well as Eva Wiley, and I should have a post covering all the work in the show in the coming weeks. This exhibit will be up until April 25th, so if you are in town for Southern Graphics try to catch this one.
Thanks to Holly Holly Hobby Hobby’s Anni Altshuler for this scoop.
Posted by amze on March 8th, 2010 | 
Katie Baldwin’s recent exhibition in the Print Center is a mighty fine example of contemporary moku hanga wood block printing. The show covers three bodies of work, Throwing our Things in the River, Things left behind, and another selection of prints of images of box designs that seem contain oblique narratives. Each collection are moku hanga wood block prints (multi-block & hand-printed) often with letter press text overprinted. The prints intimate in size and are printed in small editions. The text below in an excerpt from the artist’s statement, and it enumerates the magical thinking that provides an interior structure of these strange and magical images.
My images create a visual narrative, bearing witness to both the ordinary and extraordinary events of human life. I work in series; my prints complete each other as a non-linear account that attests to the complexity of the human condition. In this work, I am utilizing a perspective based on multiple points of view. I am interested in challenging the unity of time by the defiance of scale and by showing several moments at once. Daily life intersects with themes of work, relationships, culture, natural disasters and dumb luck.
Continue reading Katie Baldwin
Posted by amze on November 29th, 2009 |
This event is so big it deserves it’s own post! Mark your calendars and pack your bags Philagrafika 2010 is coming to Philadelphia with the start of the new year. Beginning on January 10th and running through April 11th, Philagrafika 2010 will be presenting a staggering array of print exhibitions and events making it one of the most important art events for print globally, in line with Documenta and the other international art biennial and triennial events. Under the artistic direction of José Roca, and working with a power-house line-up of curators, Philagrafika (the member supported non-profit Philadelphia print organization) has assembled an unbelievable cast of artists, exhibitions and events (including but not limited to SGC International’s Mark/Remarque Conference). Here’s their description of the core concepts:
 Involving more than 300 artists at more than 80 venues throughout the city, Philagrafika 2010 will be one of the largest art events in the United States and the world’s most important print-related exposition. Prominent museums and cultural institutions across Philadelphia are participating in Philagrafika 2010, offering regional, national and international audiences the opportunity to see contemporary art that references printmaking in dynamic, unexpected ways and to experience the rich cultural life of the city in the process. The Philagrafika 2010 festival is the result of more than five years of planning by a group of enthusiastic and committed individuals who have mobilized the entire community around a common interest. The Artistic Director and the members of the curatorial team traveled extensively across the country and across continents, visiting studios, print shops, biennials and other art events in search of artists to include. And the administrative staff of Philagrafika, the Artistic Director and the curatorial team have worked closely with local institutions in planning and implementing a wide range of exhibitions, public programs and events, resulting in a citywide collective effort, which appropriately reflects the collaborative nature of printmaking itself.
Read more after the jump.
Continue reading Philagrafika 2010, America’s largest Print Festival is Coming Soon!
Posted by amze on October 27th, 2009 | 
Print Liberation the design/screen printing collective has opened a retail space in the Northern Liberties section of Philadephia. We’ve posted a while back about the interesting work produced by the folks at Print Liberation, you can read about it here. This foray into retail seems like an obvious next move, with their design business established, their T-shirts and totes have a steady following, and their screen printing hand book has been well received by the DIY scene. The store layout matches the spirit of their design aesthetic, bold, irreverent, and yes, gleeful.
More pictures after the jump.
Continue reading Print Liberation Has Gone Retail
Posted by amze on October 7th, 2009 | 
Another amazing print show just opened at Space 1026 in Philadelphia, this time featuring the woodcut prints and sculptures of Dennis McNett. Now I don’t normally go in for too much hyphen-enfused hyperbole, but in all sincerity this show is chock-a-block full of jaw-dropping awesomeness. The exhibition blurb:
The Year of the Wolfbat began in NYC in June and has since trekked across the US stopping for exhibitions, artist talks and workshops along the way. The migratory flight of the Wolfbats has swooped in for shows at Fecal Face Dot Gallery in San Francisco and Thinkspace Gallery in Los Angeles. Their tour will culminate at Space 1026 in Philadelphia with an installation of print-derived sculpture and mural, accompanied by unique and editioned works both large and small.
The gallery will be transformed into a loud psychedelic woodcut landscape. Duck your head walking in and make way for an entire flock of hotheaded Wolfbats swooping overhead, not to mention the supercharged eagles diving out of their path to let them through. New wood carved pieces, relief cut prints, masks and oversize tapestries. Leopards with serpent tails, goat heads wrapped in snakes, angry beasts, eagles fighting snakes, bats, and of course, Wolfbats!
 Anyone unfamiliar with Dennis McNett, He’s truly on the front end of the woodcut revival, check out his website. There are many great examples of his work and colorful snippets about his past and motivations. The Year of the Wolfbat will be on display at Space 1026 through the month of October, so don’t miss it!
More photos after the jump.
Continue reading Beware the Wolfbat!
Posted by Jason Urban on July 22nd, 2009 | Avi Oslick, a resident of Philadelphia’s Fishtown neighborhood, has a beef with Bank of America and is using the vinyl signage to let everyone know. In a time when some suggest the power of print media is waning, this is a classic, no-frills example of the strength of a graphic statement. While it may be an extreme reaction to a penalty fee related to a cancelled check, I for one am glad to see someone printing a banner to express thier feelings. Say it loud, say it with vinyl!
 Girard Avenue in Fishtown, Philadelphia, PA.
See more here and here.
Posted by amze on April 7th, 2009 | 
The Jackleg Testament is the creation of artist and musician Jay Bolotin. This surreal and engaging “woodcut motion picture” has been touring galleries and museums since 2006. Yes, it is made entirely of relief prints that were animated and set to an original score.
We in philadelphia are lucky enough to have the piece travel to the Morris Gallery of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts where it will be free and on view until May 12th. The rest of you unfortunates can still experience it here via the Youtube. I don’t pretend to know how to put into words the scope of this operatic project, but if you have the time it’s really worth the watching.
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