American Psyche

American Psyche

A exhibition of sequential media exploring personal and military violence, curated by Marshall Weber.

Steve Hurd, Untitled (R.I.P. #5). 2007–08

October 27 through November 26, 2008
at the Cafritz Foundation Art Center
930 King Street, Montgomery College, Silver Spring, Maryland

A collaborative project of the Booklyn Artists Alliance
and the 10th Biennial Pyramid Atlantic Book Arts Fair and Conference

Opening reception Saturday, November 8, 2008, 6-8PM

For more information contact Marshall Weber at Booklyn, 718-383-9621

Curators Statement
A young German woman recently said to me, “For the first time I am proud to be a German. I am happy Germany did not participate in your wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Now the Americans are the bad guys. You are the new Nazis.”

We make our victims monsters. The men tortured and the women and children bombed and burned are recreated in the national psyche as a threatening evil. Our victims morph into extraterrestrial terrorists, alleviating our guilt. The disfigured, the wounded, and the ill mar the fading yet unblemished American Dream.

Presidential candidates don’t visit Veterans hospitals.

Buddhist teachings tell us that what we hold in our hearts and minds manifests itself in the world. Where is the hope in this American Psyche?

I believe that we can unmake what we’ve made. But to do this we will have to confront the darkness in our hearts with the same courage as the artists in this exhibit.

I have had the honor to meet and work with almost all the artists in this exhibition. Their artwork has inspired me to look deep into myself in a process that integrates both intellectual and emotional inquiry. I can offer them no greater praise than to say that their work has profoundly informed my understanding of the world. It has offered me hope.

I thank all the artists, people and organizations that have made this exhibit possible. - Marshall Weber, Booklyn, November 2008

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Artists in the exhibition

1. Claudia Ahlering, Paris, France, published by Bongout (Anna Hellsgard and Meeloo Gfeller), Berlin, Germany

Gewehrlaufjpg, 2007, original pen and ink drawing for Liftboys and Lost Girls, 2007, silk-screened artists book, edition of 150, and 8 silk screened pages

2. Balthrop, Alabama and Michael Arthur, NYC and Brooklyn, NY
God Loves My Country, 2008, music and drawing video, 5:03, original pen and ink drawing by Michael Arthur.

3. Booklyn, Warrior Writers and Iraq Veterans Against the War
Not My Enemy, ABC (Another Booklyn Chapbook) #6, 2008, various writers, artists' chapbook, edition of 1,000, letterpress, offset

4. Stephen Dupont, Sydney, Australia
Four photographs from the Afghanistan: the Perils of Freedom, 2008, edition of 15, silver gelatin photographic prints
Panorama, 2007, artists book, edition of 50, digital inkjet photographic prints

5. Cowboy Junkies and J.C Christian
December Skies, 2006, music video, 4:07

6. FLY, NYC, NY, Peops, 2003-2007, 3 artists’ comic books, open edition, 6 copied page spreads

7. Aaron Hughes, Chicago, IL
Ahmed: A Collection of Ahmed Jabar Shareef's Photographs, 2007, video and artists book, open edition
a bird knows no barbed wire, 2007, artists book, open edition
Dust Memories, 2008, artists book, edition of 10

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8. Steve Hurd, L.A., CA, Untitled (R.I.P. #5), 2008, limited edition of 30 silkscreen prints, printed by Pyramid Atlantic, and mailer image from original painting.

9. Immortal Technique, Brooklyn, NY
Two music video versions of Immortal Technique’s Tell The Truth song, 3:20 (each)
Uruk Videomachine version, 2007
Itchy and Scratchy version, 2005

10. People’s Republic of Paper/Free Your Mind Press/Iraq Veterans Against the War, Burlington, Vermont.
You Are Not My Enemy; Combat Paper, Vol. IV, 2008, Artworks created by Afghanistan and Iraq War Veterans. Organized by Drew Cameron & Drew Matott, edition of 8, 6 prints in portfolio box, created with paper made from Iraq war veterans' shredded combat uniforms.

Untitled, portfolio Volume I, 2008, Jon Micheal Turner, edition of six, 6 prints in portfolio, created with paper made from his shredded combat uniform.
In the reading room:
Warrior Writers VII (with Box structure), 2008, unique artists book with box structure,
Jon Michael Turner's Bound Poetry, 2008, unique artists book
Additional unique books:
- four journals by Combat Papermakers-journals are used for poetry, drawings and collaborations, with Drew Cameron, Jon Turner, Phil Aliff, Mike Blake, Eli Wright
- two journals being used by the artists to collaborate with relatives currently serving in Iraq with Brandon Clark and Jason Washburn-USMC Infantryman
- artist and writer Jeff Key is writing a play in his own blood
On pedestals with accompanying statements by the artists:
- a book that has been shot up by Eli Wright and Drew Cameron
- a book that has been exploded by Eli Wright, Jon Turner and Drew Cameron

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11. Phil Patiris, Oakland, CA, Iraq Campaign, 1991, video, 25 min

12. Bruno Richard, Paris, France, published by Bongout
Torment Genital, 2007, silk-screened artists book, edition of 118, 4 framed prints (page spreads from book)

13. Fred Rinne, S.F., CA, with Marshall Weber, Brooklyn, NY
Bedtime for Bremer: Reloaded,, 2008, artists book, variant series of four, 4 acrylic paintings.

14. Zawi, Oaxaca, Mexico, with M. Weber, Brooklyn, NY
“American Girl”, 2008, artists book/collage installation

When I was investigating stats on prescription drug use, teen plastic surgery and finally the sex trade - I literally was ill and still feel nauseous at times. I dry heaved one night after reading about US Troops and Iraqi girls - as young as 4! - pictures passed around like baseball cards and in Japan as young as 9 months!!! Adoption is one of the routes for getting these girls into the US (mostly via Mexico and some through Canada) - fake adoption/visas that is.

And these girls think they are going to be saved or live the American Dream or they have been sold by their own starving families. In Mexico the sex and kill rates are unheard of with their bodies being gutted after for the growing organ market. No one is doing anything. Over 400 girls in one town just outside of El Paso (Military Base) - the military and sex violence mixed with drug and organ running is enough to flip out any sane human. I wrote a line "Kill a poor brown girl save a rich white man." - Zawi, September 2008

American Psyche is available for the 2009-2010 season; the budget is $10,000 for a four to six week exhibit.

This page is maintained by Marshall Weber.