Without You I am Nothing: Cultural Democracy from Providence and Chicago is an exhibition of works on paper that are not intended for public consumption but to create small venues for public participation.  It will be mounted at Chicago’s Green Lantern Gallery through April 25, 2009, and probably travel to Providence’s 5 Traverse Gallery sometime in July.

Without You I Am Nothing explores two distinct and vibrant worlds of mass-produced, artist-created prompts for cultural democracy in its respective eponymous locales.  Participating artists explore the mediation of visual culture – which, in late capitalist America, can be essentialized as consumption – and discover “more fair ways to respond,” primarily through creating extremely subjective experiences of the work.  The pieces require more of the reader, and may be malleable, 3-dimensional, tactile, transient, or somehow otherwise inclusive of elements that can move, deteriorate, or be removed; or bits that must be rubbed, poked, ripped, pressed, wettened, prodded, or yanked to achieve full poster satisfaction.

Satisfaction, however, is not guaranteed.

Curated by Anne Elizabeth Moore, the group show is presented in conjunction with the Southern Graphics Council, and features work by:

Andrew Oesch

Angee Lennard

Agata Michalowska

Dan S. Wang, Myriel Milicivic, and Kevin Haywood

Delia Kovac

DeWayne Slightweight

Karin Patzke

Heather Ault

Jason Tranchida

Jean Cozzens

Laura Szumowski

Matthew Lawrence

Meg Turner

Rob Ray

Sonnenzimmer

Xander Marro

The opening reception is this Friday, March 27, between 6:00-9:00PM, with live musical performances provided by Helen Money, John Bellows, and DeWayne Slightweight from 8:00-11:00PM.