Post No Bills
Language is a mine field. The words we choose to use and the underlying meaning behind what we say and hear is of crucial importance.
Our understanding of a word is often not as straightforward as being provided a simple definition. Feminism. Conservative. Fashion. Their meanings are in flux. They have a historical story as well as a place in contemporary culture. The way I understand feminism today is not how I understood it ten years ago and, surely, it is not the same as the way my mom understood the word back in the 1970s.
The way we perceive and use language is influenced by the media, politicians, Instagram captions, books, movies, our friends. We're influenced by everything around us and all of the subtle changes taking place within society are slowly (or abruptly) altering the way we understand and use specific words.
Tate Foley's exhibition, Post No Bills, taps into this idea.
Currently on show at the Contemporary Art Museum in St Louis, Foley's display of large-scale sculptures work to reframe the language of protest. This is particularly relevant in a divided city that sits within a nation struggling to wrap its head around the implications of an upcoming election.
Language is of crucial importance because it provides people with a voice. It is when people feel that their voice cannot be heard (or is not valued) that a society truly starts to break down.
Created using a Risograph, words such a 'bourgeoisie', 'systematic' and 'explicit' are deconstructed into their phonetic components and attached to wooden structures.
Ultimately, the typography resembles gibberish. What looks like random combinations of letters are collaged together, creating colorful montages that are juxtaposed by the simple shades of wood that form the sculpture's structure.
The Contemporary Art Museum describes Post No Bills as an installation that dismantles systems of power. While the benefits and risks of doing this are far too complex to dive into here one thing is abundantly clear from Foley's work: print is not dead.
Foley's ability to turn, what looks like, a simple combination of letters into larger-than-life sculptures with captivating aesthetic value is alarming. At a time when magazines and newspapers are struggling, and most people no longer own a simple printer, his use of old-school printing techniques breathes new life into the future of print.
A printers worth is no longer found in its ease-of-use, cheap ink or speed.
Being able to utilize a printer from the 1980s and produce a work of art as captivating as Post No Bills is truly a sign of Foley's ingenuity and resourcefulness as a contemporary artist.
Post No Bills is being shown at the Contemporary Art Museum in St Louis as part of the Great Rivers Biennial. Exhibition runs until August 21, 2016.
Photos and words by Jennifer Inglis.
Tate Foley
When I pulled up to the location of Tate Foley's studio Sunday afternoon I was sure I was in the wrong place.
Tucked down an idyllic suburban street in Creve Coeur, it was the last place I expected to find this artist's abode. I knocked on the door reluctantly, half expecting no one to be home but was greeted by Tate who was all smiles and warm welcomes.
We headed down to his basement where his studio is located. There was a big Riso printer in the corner and shelves lined with design books and knick knacks. Tate gave us a whirlwind tour, showing how the Riso printer works, and unveiling some of the hidden gems of his studio - including a pack of playing cards with dinosaurs attacking humans in odd situations. After looking at a selection of Tate's work one thing was clear, everything he makes has a hint of humor. He plays with words and takes references from pop culture - one slogan he has used is Obama's ambiguous 'win the future' campaign. Tate is a printmaker who's forging his own unique path in the art industry. He has published comics, made numerous small pamphlet style books and makes pieces large enough to take center stage on anyones wall.
A piece of Tate's work is going to be auctioned off this Friday evening at the Contemporary Art Museum in St Louis. Art: 314 is a silent auction taking place at 8pm. Tickets are currently on sale through the CAM website.
