Doubting Thomases brings together eight Philadelphia-based artists who utilize printmaking techniques and self-printed materials, generally thought of as mediums of multiple, and incorporate them into one-of-a-kind works. With strong backgrounds in ‘zine making, silk screening in basements, and feeding the wrong type of paper through the Xerox machine at Kinkos, the artists in this exhibition are well versed in figuring out how to do it for themselves. It is this work ethic, coupled with a knowledge of traditional printmaking techniques and etiquette, that inspire the artists' rejection of the notion that printed materials are strictly intended for duplication and therefore inherently less valuable.
Loosely centered around the Philadelphia artist collective Space 1026, Doubting Thomases includes work in which the artists have screen printed over drawings, drawn over prints, cut up their own prints and collaged them back together, painted over photographs, and pretty much done whatever else works knowing that the result will be hard to define and not really caring. Please just don’t call it “mixed media” or ask what the edition size is.
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Curator Alex Lukas was born in Boston, Massachusetts and raised in nearby Cambridge. With a wide range of artistic influences, Lukas creates both highly detailed drawings and intricate Xeroxed ‘zines, comics and booklets. Lukas’ imprint, Cantab Publishing, has released over 30 small books and ‘zines since it’s inception in 2001. His drawings have recently been exhibited in New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, San Francisco, London and Copenhagen as well as in the pages of Dwell Magazine, The New York Times Book Review, Swindle Quarterly, Proximity Magazine, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Village Voice and Philadelphia Weekly amongst others. Lukas is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design and now lives in Philadelphia, where he is a member of the artist collective Space 1026.
Through photographs, handmade objects and installation, Micah Danges examines the measurement and balance of spaces and environments found in natural and man made locations, inner and outer worlds. The artist lives and works in Philadelphia.
Chris Kline was born in Pennsylvania currently lives in Philadelphia where he is a current member of Space 1026. He makes multi-layered screen prints, colored pencil, and ink drawings, and the occasional collaborative ‘zine. His work has been shown in New York, San Francisco, Toronto, Los Angeles and Philadelphia. Kline works at his friend’s south Philadelphia print shop, Awesome Dudes Printing.
Matt Leines is a Philadelphia based artist. Leines' finely detailed paintings and drawings are an amalgam of memories, filtered influences from the long and varied histories of art and culture, and life's obsessions. The emphatically meticulous lines speak to a primitive, yet undeniably modern aesthetic. His work has been showcased in exhibitions and collections across the globe and his first monograph, You Are Forgiven, was published by Free News Projects in 2008.
Isaac Tin Wei Lin is a Philadelphia based artist whose work deals with identity and repetitive marks that form an optical abstraction. In 1998 he earned his BFA in Painting at RISD and his MFA in Painting and Drawing at California College of the Arts in 2005. He has shown his paintings in such cities as San Francisco CA, Portland OR, NYC and Copenhagen. He participated in the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture residency in 2005. Recently one of his drawings was purchased by the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Lin is represented by Fleisher/Ollman Gallery.
Bill McRight was born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1978. He earned a BFA from Winthrop University and an MFA from Pratt Institute. His work ranges from intricate linoleum cuts to hand crafted weapons. He has shown work both nationally and internationally most recently New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Denver. He lives and works in Philadelphia.
Dan Murphy is a self taught photographer, bicycle tourer, musician, film maker, muralist, sign painter, designer, traveler, curator, and cook. He is the co-founder of Megawords Magazine, a free, globally distributed, print media project. He has recently shown at Moore college of Art, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and Fleisher/Ollman Gallery, and was recently included in the Philadelphia Museum of Arts permanent collection. He has lived in Philadelphia for most of his 34 years on earth.
Andrew Jeffrey Wright is a current and founding member of Philadelphia's Space 1026 art commune. He has a BFA in Animation. The collaborative animation "the manipulators", which he made with Clare E. Rojas, won the top prize for animation at the New York Underground Film Festival and the New York Comedy Film Festival. Wright's highly limited edition handmade books have gained an international following. He has toured his performance art act with such bands as Man Man, Sweatheart, Narwhalz Of Sound and opened for Lightning Bolt. His works include painting, animation, drawing, collage, photography, sculpture, video, installation, screen printing and performance. He has shown at New Image Art (LA), The Luggage Store (San Francisco), Lump Gallery (Raliegh), The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts (Philadelphia), ICA (Philadelphia), The Print Center (Philadelphia), Giant Robot NY (NYC), Cinders Gallery (Brooklyn), The Corcoran (DC) and Foundation Cartier (Paris). He has performed at many places including ICA (Philadelphia), Cinders Gallery (Brooklyn), Domy Books (Austin), Lit (Manhattan), The Silent Movie Theatre (LA) and SUNY Purchase (NY).
