Why do you want to be on that line, in that spot between fiction and nonfiction? I just want to be right there on that line, where you go, "Did this guy really have a show at the Getty or the Louvre? And then you think to yourself, no."
This Philatelic Life series poster, advertising a fake show at the Whitney, is part of Chew's exhibition called Not a Fake Show! at the Virgina Inn. How do you sandwich ideas between the image and the viewer? Lately, in the Philatelic Life series, those layers are about ideas, not flies. It's like when you go outside in the summer, all of a sudden your focus will shift and you’ll see this huge cloud of flies right in front of you that you didn’t see because your focus was in a different place. But I see all this stuff floating around, and I realize there’s layers of things. Lately I’ve been having problems with my eyes, I’ve had detached retinas. So those are the images that everyone wants to see. The unreal images are the ones that make everything look perfect. Things can be pretty messy most places but we look beyond that clutter. Well I like to come right up to that edge where you’re not sure if you’re seeing fiction or not-fiction. What kind of artist do you think you are? You're the kind who wouldn't want to teach color wheel, and there's a lot of mess on the surfaces of your work. So then they use a visual map to write a poem about their house. What’s that? What’s this? Let’s take a walk through these pictures and then write down what you see. You want to make a poem about your house? Draw me a map. A lot of times it’s simply visualizing what they’re doing. And one-on-one, the world of art comes in many times in my teaching. They say they're editions, but no one’s ever bought anything from me in a long time, so if somebody wanted to buy one, I sort of have to think how many of these have I already given away to people. So all the posters that you see there, most have been mailed to numerous people and most of the people have done things to them and changed them and then sent them on. But everything involves doing it and then mailing it to a bunch of people. They are evidence of the back-and-forths, or they have elements that pertain to correspondance or mail art. So what I'm seeing is the back-and-forths that have already taken place. I would print you one on handmade paper any size you want. It’s printed on lousy paper on gator board. if you bought one of those things I wouldn’t give you what’s on the wall. What’s on the walls is advertisements for the work. How are these big posters on the wall dancing? I am still a mail artist, yes, but I don’t like the confusion with m-a-l-e. It’s a term that Ray Johnson, the father of mail art, coined years ago. I’m really into collaborating with people, which is more of a dance. Your purchase helps to support our diverse community of makers, strengthens the local economy, and helps keep Seattle, Seattle.I prefer to call it "correspondance" art.
As local musicians, artists, and residents, Greg and Mike have a passion and a commitment to the Seattle business and art community. Restless Prints is a Seattle-based custom screen printing shop dedicated to detail and a high-quality product.
Silkscreen printing by Seattle Made member, Restless Prints.
Matthew Porter created the Seattle Strong image to show his love of the city he has called home for 20+ years. Illustration by Seattle Made member, Matthew Porter. Family-owned and run, they manufacture high-quality sewn goods. Since 1984 Misty Mountain has been working hard to keep goods locally produced. Manufactured by Seattle Made member, Misty Mountain.