100 Days of Active Resistance

100 Days of Active Resistance is a beautiful compilation of images that “go deep in order to understand who we are, what the world is and how things could be better.” On Day 87 you’ll find the MAKE [THIS] BETTER poster.

Buy the book.

• In 2010 Vivienne Westwood and Lee Jeans launched an online manifesto-installation titled 100 Days of Active Resistance. The website invited people to submit an artwork, slogan or photograph responding to Westwood’s conception of Active Resistance to Propaganda, in which she argues for culture’s capacity to elevate humanity above self-destruction. It is not enough to follow world politics, see films and read the prizewinning bestsellers, she insists; this is superficial, you need to go deep in order to understand who you are, what the world is and how things could be better. This involves culture which can only be acquired by self-education: human beings should mirror the world. Starting on September 8, 2010, for100 days, one artwork was showcased online daily, ending with an exhibition displaying a selection ofthe best contributions. This volume gathers these works and commemorates the project.

DOWN-UP | Power to the Poster {dot} ORG

OCCUPY TOGETHER The posters provided on this page were graciously donated by graphic designers and are free for you to download, print, and hang up within your community, not only to promote local efforts, but the solidarity of all occupiers around the country.

Stronger Together

Poster Show Friday the 28th at the New BLK. See you there!

From the Nebraska Appleseed blog: Build A Stronger Nebraska Together

LINCOLN: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7TH

October 7 · 6:00pm – 10:00pm

The Ink Spot at Parrish Studios
1410 O Street
Lincoln, NE

OMAHA: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28TH

October 28 · 7:00pm – 10:00pm

The New BLK
1213 Jones Street
Omaha, NE

A poster show benefiting Nebraska Appleseed featuring art from:

Paul Berkbigler
Doe Eyed
Ella Durham + Sam Rapien
Justin Kemerling
Peter Morris
Oxide Design Co.
Cathy Solarana
Jake Welchert

Historically, the poster has been a powerful means of communicating ideals and advocating for change.

Nebraska Appleseed called upon leaders in the graphic design community to envision how we can build a stronger Nebraska through greater equality, opportunity and justice for all.

We partnered with Justin Kemerling of The Match Factory and Lincoln screen printer Jason Davis of Screen Ink to produce an art exhibition with a collection of posters to inspire all people of our great state to work together to create a more inclusive, more vibrant community.

These powerful posters – eleven designs, hand-signed and numbered, twenty-five prints each on 18″x24″ silkscreen prints – give voice to Appleseed’s core values of Community, Democracy, Equality, Justice and Opportunity.

GREEN PATRIOT POSTERS (Project Green/NOMAD Films) is being made into a documentary short film. And you can help Kickstart it!

Of course 1 leak is too many when we’re talking Oil+Water, but this corporation’s own estimates of 11 leaks is simply laughable. Worst Case Spills for TransCanada Pipeline put that number far higher.

Tugboat Gallery exhibition posters CA Exhibit

Communication Arts added four of the Tugboat Gallery posters to their very impressive collection of Exhibit work. It’s great to get these posted by a creative organization I’ve always highly respected for their vision and inspiration.

Basement Studio | 20th & C, Lincoln, NE

When the Tugboat Gallery reopened in April of 2008, I enthusiastically said yes to the invitation of doing the monthly exhibition posters. One 12×18 screenprinted poster a month, editions of 60ish, for three years. Designed and hand-pulled in three different DIY studio locations over the years and put up on the streets of downtown Lincoln by the Tugboat crew.

Tugboat Gallery is an alternative gallery located in downtown Lincoln, Nebraska. It’s run by Peggy Gomez and Tugboat’s new co-captain Nolan Tredway. Joey Lynch and Jake Gillespie, along with Peggy, made up the initial force behind its creation. Located above Gomez Art Supply in the Parrish Studios, it’s part of a flourishing downtown art scene and a place to see some of the finest artwork in the Midwest.

And the spaces where the posters were printed were equally as fine.

Print Here

Bemis Underground | Downtown, Omaha, NE

The first studio, where screenprinting for me all began, was in the basement of a big old house on 20th and C in Lincoln’s historic district. Amidst boxes and other junk stored by the various tenants—including one Jason Hardy—coating, exposing, blasting, pulling and hanging all went down in the evening hours after the graphic designer day job. I was way into posters at the time and Tugboat was the perfect project. The designing typically happened fast with the printing process taking up to 8-12 hours depending on number of colors and print complexity. There wasn’t too much time to over think the design, and what happened was, for the most part, a satisfying result that kept my own design process moving forward and on its toes. While speaking to the art, the final design really just had to look badass. Once it did, it was time to print.

I’d get the names of the artists (typically a group show), the name of the exhibition (occasionally Peggy or I would have to come up with one) and some images of the work being displayed, then I’d get to it. Design the poster, get approval from Peggy, and on to the screenprinting—transparencies, coating, exposing, blasting, printing, reclaiming. Repeat.

It felt raw. Down and dirty. It smelled of ink and emulsion. It felt like wood and paper. And it looked delightful as the colors would layer over top of each other. Indeed, blue over yellow makes green. And magenta over turquoise looks fucking awesome.

Old Hardware Store | Vinton Street, Omaha, NE

When my wife Katie and I moved to Omaha, Joey Lynch let me in on both of his spaces over the course of the next 2+ years. The first was in the Bemis Underground, the second in an old former hardware store in south Omaha. Generously shared spaces complete with power washer and drying rack. And lots more room to let the ink fly and the tape deck spin. The solid array of Jason’s unrivaled mixtapes that accumulated over the years is quite impressive. What can I say, no one makes a mixtape like Jason Hardy. No one.

All three spaces were as DIY as it gets—from the light tables, to the blast area, to the printing press. They were inspiring zones of “getting down to the making” and uncomplicated hideouts from the business side of graphic design. The first, since Jason and I both lived in apartments in the old house, was a place for collaboration, late night concepting and frequent beer drinking. The Omaha spots were home to the artwork and endeavors Joey was involved in. Inspiring to say the least, with huge artwork screens, print projects for Saddle Creek Records and the creation of the Daily Grub all happening around the printing of poster after poster.

Looking back at the three-year collection of poster after poster, Three Way might be my favorite. Four colors, three arrows, two screens and one cow. Enough said.

Three Way | September 2008

Stacks of Tugboats

I’ve now moved on from being the “Tugboat Poster Designer.” With evolving interests and new work opportunities, I’m focusing the screenprinting aspect of my design practice on personal projects and collaborative efforts. But, of course, the Tugboat 37 will always have a special place in my heart. As will the spaces where the shit went down.

VIEW ALL 37 POSTERS

– Justin Kemerling, Designer. justinkemerling.com

Poster by Max Erdenberger

From the W+K Studio online store:

• Upon learning of the devastating earthquake and subsequent tsunami that struck Japan on March 11 we felt a helplessness that compelled us to do something. We quickly designed this poster and offered it as a thanks for anyone donating at least $25 to the relief effort through our site. We’ll be donating the net proceeds to the Red Cross.

For more efforts like this, visit GOOD.

Green Patriot Posters the book edited by Dmitri Siegel & Edward Morris

IMAGES FOR A NEW ACTIVISM

Green Patriot Posters the book was released at the end of 2010, a year tied for the warmest on record with 1998 and 2005. The book brings together the strongest contemporary graphic design currently promoting sustainability and the fight against climate change at a time when one of America’s political parties is looking to rewrite the Clean Air Act so that it can’t be used to fight that very same climate change.

The book showcases 50 posters selected from the project Website in detachable, ready to hang format. It’s edited by Edward Morris and Dmitri Siegel and includes text by Michael Bierut, Thomas L. Friedman, Steven Heller, Edward Morris, Dmitri Siegel and Morgan Clendaniel. In addition to the site and the book, Cleveland saw bus adverts by Michael Beirut, Dorchester was home to a public art campaign and San Francisco had bus shelter placement thanks to some successful crowdfunding.

Green Patriot Posters {dot} ORG

Bierut Bus in Cleveland

Bike Your City Bus Shelter by Jason Hardy in San Francisco

Green Patriot Posters Reinvigorate Environmental Message at Wired and the Destroy This Book excerpt can be found at Design Observer. Most People just don’t get climate change. Few grasp the need and more important, the opportunity to transform our society. So the people who do get it need to be louder, more insistent and more effective at getting the message across. Certainly a very true statement.

For our part, Jason and myself were both included in the book alongside some of the finest poster designers working today: Shepard Fairey, Joe Scorsone and Alice Drueding, Felix Sockwell and Jame Victore. Power to the Poster in general was well represented.

Inside spread

Jason Hardy | Let’s Ride

• A bicycle is a beautifully simple machine. Two wheels, a frame, and a crank — that’s all you need. So I wanted to make a simple poster celebrating one of those key components — the wheel. The call to action is simple: Let’s Ride. I chose a light green for the background to touch on the environmental benefits of cycling and also because, as we all know, green means go. Cutting carbon can be fun, too — get a crew and let’s ride!

Let's Ride by Jason Hardy

Justin Kemerling | (Re)Make America

• I think about the idea of America a lot. The history of things. How we got here and where we want to go. It’s been a long process in working towards becoming the land of opportunity with freedom and justice for all, and the whole bit. And we have such a long way to go. It’s brick by brick. It’s DIY. So pick up your talents and get to it. Until your hands hurt. This image of the “America in bricks” found it’s way into my design work, really speaking to the idea that many parts make a whole. Optimistic. Hopeful. Good reason to get your hands calloused.

(Re)Make America by Justin Kemerling

The book itself is a perfect combination of beautiful design and sustainable production. From the back cover:

• Every effort was made to produce this book in the most sustainable way possible. The trim size and page count were chosen to minimize waste; the book was printed using 100% wind power on paper made from 100% post-consumer waste fiber; and it was printed in the U.S.A. to reduce fuel consumption in shipping. Yes, this cost more. But suck it up. It’s worth it.

Published by Metropolis Books. 9.5 x 12.5 in. / 128 pgs / 50 tear-out posters and available for purchase at Artbook for $30.

WWII era posters: project inspiration.

This project, and many others like it, are so very important. Especially at a very contentious time, when taking on Climate Change just isn’t an issue many Americans are interested in addressing. It’s all Economy all of the time. And half of our elected officials don’t even think Climate Change is a) caused by our human use of fossil fuels, or worse yet b) happening at all. This project is directly inspired from World War II era posters that called for collective action, for the nation to come together to fight a common enemy. But if it was today’s America that had to fight that war, I’m not so sure we’d do very well, especially with the coming together part.

WWII era posters: more inspiration.

These messages coming from our leadership today; to be wise, careful, to use leftovers and to grow your own food would not stand. The cries of communism and socialism and conspiratorial leftist plots would abound. They pretty much do whenever any government initiative is undertaken. Remember the backlash to Michelle Obama’s wonderful organic garden; it just needs to get off our back and leave us to our God-given right to be fat, lazy and drive up health care costs faster than you can say high-fructose corn syrup.

But as communication design efforts on many fronts take on what really matters; raising money for doctors in Haiti, advocating an end to the death penalty, calling out the imperative of reversing the push into poverty by so many in this great recession, things do change. Money gets raised, public opinion becomes more compassionate, communities come together. These projects shine a light in a compelling way on the issues we need to be thinking about very seriously. It’s design as a way to shout how things need to be and what we want our future to look like. And, of course, they inspire the creation of a sustainable movement for a green tomorrow which is a very American, very patriotic thing to do.

You can call sustainability a movement. There are signs that things are getting better. We might even be approaching sustainability as “the way things must be because that’s the way it is,” with complete infiltration into every aspect of everything — energy, food, buildings, transportation, and on and on. It’s as if a grand realization is upon us. Deep down we know we can’t carry on like this. With such levels of pollution, inequality and injustice, we’ll all collectively have the “aha” moment, get a grip and use our vast quantities of creativity to remake America and our world community into a bright place for everyone to call home.

With hot years and heated debates about the action we need to take, we need more projects like Green Patriot Posters — more vision from creative individuals to inspire us along the way to that sustainable future. Otherwise, it could be the rising tides that sink all ships.

For now, you can buy this book, destroy this book and pick a side because the tone of the debate and the levels of action needed are only going to get more intense. And we do indeed need to get louder, more insistent and more effective at getting the message across.

– Justin Kemerling, Designer. justinkemerling.com

PRESS:

The Guardian UK, January 25, 2011
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/gallery/2011/jan/25/green-patriot-posters

Wired, November 15, 2010:
http://www.wired.com/underwire/2010/11/green-patriot/

PBS News Hour, Art Beat, January 6, 2011:
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/art/blog/2011/01/green-patriots-get-straight-to-the-message-with-enviro-friendly-poster-art.html

Metropolis Mag, October 20, 2010:
http://www.metropolismag.com/story/20101020/patriot-acts

Design Observer, November 22, 2010:
http://observatory.designobserver.com/entry.html?entry=22558

GOOD, December 15, 2010
http://www.good.is/post/green-patriot-posters-the-best-submissions/

Le Monde, October 30, 2010
http://ecologie.blog.lemonde.fr/2010/10/30/aux-etats-unis-lecologie-mise-a-laffiche/
http://veille.agence-limite.fr/green-patriot-posters-quand-des-affiches-vint

HOW Magazine’s Blog features The Haiti Poster Project, now with over 510 artists:

• Over a year ago, in the wake of a tragedy, designers and artists were called to action by The Haiti Poster Project. Limited edition posters are donated and signed by their creators, and funds from their sales benefit Doctors without Borders for Haiti’s relief efforts.

A Design Shop for Prints & Projects

After a very long hiatus, the online store of the Match Factory has been relaunched. It’s now a design shop where you’ll find our projects ranging from the personal to the political. And the optimistic. All screenprints are hand-pulled by yours truly and all projects are self-initiated in keeping with our original statement of intent: because making is part of things.

We’ll be adding more projects in the future and will of course keep things lively. Prints about love? Yes of course. And political activism? Why most definitely. Ah, sweet-sweet variety.

As it’s a design shop for our prints and projects, all sales will go to the making of more prints and projects. And the cycle will go on as long as it makes sense for us.

Thank you for your interest, and for your support.

BBCX365, by Johnny Selman, is a poster project to bridge the knowledge gap between global current events and the American public.

• I will do this by creating a more visually interesting vehicle for the news, use a credible news source (BBC), and promote, market, and network. I will design a poster a day for 365 days in reaction to a headline on the BBC news website and update this website everyday with the poster and the accompanying news story. By creating posters based on the news stories I hope to compel my audience to look into the article and eventually stir a larger interest in world news with the American public.

• In 2008 the internet overtook all other outlets for international and national news aside from television. Forty percent of Americans got their news online in 2008, up from twenty-seven percent the previous year. It can be estimated that currently over 50% of Americans use the internet as their main source of news. Nearly six-in-ten Americans younger than 30 (fifty-nine percent) say they get most of their national and international news online (Pew). With the rise in popularity of mobile devices and the continued trajectory of Americans getting their news online; this project will predominantly be based online.

Let’s Swap is a place where artists and designers can swap art for free. It’s brought to you by stellar NYC design firm Hyperakt: meaningful design for the common good.

The first featured swap: Food for Thought / Jason Lynch

• If you had to make a sandwich of all the stuff that inspires you to create, what would it look like? That’s precisely what Hyperaktivist Jason Lynch has illustrated. Airplanes, good coffee, crafty booze, robots, and loud guitars are all prominently featured in this limited edition 22″ x 30″ poster, printed in gray and fluorescent orange by Jason on a gorgeous Folio bright white stock.

Food for Thought by Jason Lynch

Katie and I are part of the “Accepted Swaps” for our print You’ll Find Me Frolicking. We’re thrilled to be a part of such a great project.

You'll Find Me Frolicking by Katie + Justin Kemerling

The finer details:

Share and share alike. And spread the word.

19x25" Screenprint on 140lb CVR French Paper; Smart White

Hello and Welcome!

It’s the final weeks of 2010. Holiday time is upon us. Good tidings. Great cheer. Et cetera and so on. And I for one am looking forward to a little down time. A nice bit of “slow down” if you will. Perhaps some reflection, a little visioning for the coming year and for certain some booze. Maybe even lots of booze. This is America after all. Amidst all the food, family and shopping, being driven to drink is certainly a national pastime.

Reflecting on America in 2010, there are a couple of other certainties that will be with us as 2011 is ushered in. The war isn’t over, even if we want it. The economy not recovered. And the environment is still being left to the polluters.

The education system is abysmal for most. Health care now even more corporatized. Big money floods like never before into our elections. More tax cuts for the rich, less jobs for the rest. Glenn Beck is still talking insanity. Sarah Palin’s out there doing whatever the hell you call that thing Sarah Palin does. And John Boehner is set to be the new Speaker of the House. While President Barack Obama, from this lefty’s perspective, is leaving a lot to be desired.

The least we can do, instead of building that damn wall, demonizing the Islamic cultural center in New York or keeping our gay and lesbian service members in the shadows of the military, is all be a little more welcoming. It should be handshake first (or hug, whichever you prefer), suspicion second. It’s the core of that American Dream Representative Boehner is so fond of.

It wasn’t always “innocent until proven guilty”. And it doesn’t have to be “this is America, learn to speak English, these colors don’t run, USA-USA-USA” or whatever else we chant to assert our “dominance.”

Instead, we can be a little less of a jerk.

For the record, we need not worry about taking our country back from anyone. There’s plenty of America to go around, we just need to learn to share it a little better. Sometimes it can seem impossible, what with all the wealth up at the top. But we can change that. And fix the environment. And end those wars. And make education available to all. Same with health care. It will take time. And a lot of effort. Along the way, I think it would be best if, instead of that wall and whatever demonizing of the other we’ve got going on this week, let’s put the friendlier side our nature out front first. And save all the energy we’ve been putting into that damn wall for some new schools instead.

So let’s keep being the place where anybody, anywhere can come and make a go of it. That’s certainly something to be proud of.

Now say it with a smile:

THIS IS AMERICA. HELLO! AND WELCOME.

You can purchase a print of This Is America Hello! and Welcome for $20 HERE. It’s my End-O-2010 poster being sold so I can keep doing random projects like this. Thank you for your support.

– Justin Kemerling, Designer. justinkemerling.com

SHIPPED IN A STURDY TUBE

Keep Going by Katie + Justin Kemerling

Katie and I just submitted our poster for the Say Something Poster Project organized by DesignIsMyThing and supported by AIGA Boston.

• The Say Something Poster Project is a poster design competition and gallery show created to give designers the opportunity to use poster design to say something that will inspire, motivate or educate teenage kids.
• Winning posters will be donated to a non-profit organization and permanently installed in their facility. This year, that nonprofit will be The Home for Little Wanderers.
• The Home for Little Wanderers (The Home), is a non-profit child and family service agency located throughout Eastern Massachusetts. Their mission is to ensure the healthy emotional, mental, and social development of children at risk, their families, and communities.
• Posters will be permanently installed within The Home’s facilities and used as a tool for group discussions, writing exercises, debating contests and creative inspiration.

They are accepting submissions until Dec 31. The top 100 posters with the highest number of votes and the highest rating will move on to the second round judging panel, then on to a one night gallery show. And the winners to the Home for Little Wanderers.

You can vote on our poster HERE.

December @ Tugboat

PLEASE POST POSTER SHOW

The first friday opening reception is on 12/3/10 and runs from 7-10pm. BE THERE!!

Tugboat Gallery
Lincoln, NE
116 N. 14th Street
Above Gomez Art Supply in the Parrish Building

A poster show featuring the art and design of Denny Schmickle, Joey Lynch, Bonnie O’ Connell, Fred Hosman and Justin Kemerling.

The show itself runs from 12/3/10-12/29/10

Death is not justice – Catalogue from poster for tomorrow on Vimeo.

Visit Poster for Tomorrow.

Fabric Of America By Adam Elliott

In less than a week, on Tuesday, November 2nd, 2010, the American Voter will decide the future of the republic as it moves forward in 2011. Or backwards. And goodness, have you talked to the “American Voter” lately? It’s a bit worrying. A couple years ago, I remember a lot of discussion about that American Voter being patient. And willing to make sacrifices as the Obama Administration made some very tough decisions about fixing the economy, health care, Afghanistan, the auto industry, credit cards, etc. To the American Voter, I say Ha! Voting Republican this year is like eating a Big Mac. It may taste good at first, but it’s so bad for your health, the environment, gives you a headache in 1-2 hours and shouldn’t you be buying local?

Now, voting Democrat, you may be pissed at them, but really, they are the only chance of using that powerful tool known as the federal government to do really important shit. Like investing in solar, building a light rail system (remember, the FG built the Interstate system), stimulating the economy (yes, the stimulus was a good thing) and doing all the other things only the federal government can do in order to fix our big problems with health care, energy, environment, education and so on to eternity.

So, if you’re so concerned about our deficit, about leaving our children with piles of debt, well let’s get to making some sacrifices. No more wars, tax cuts, oil subsidies, social security and Medicare.

If you’re more concerned with leaving our children with an uninhabitable planet because our carbon emissions officially ruined all chances to grow healthy food and breath clean air, well we still need that ole federal government. Because the states are a bunch of whiney crybabies.

If you’re tired of politics and would prefer to stay at home on November 2nd, really, some people are going to do that?

And if you’re a designer and want to make a poster about all the batshit craziness that is American Politics, please submit to PowertothePoster.org.

Thank you.

The Say Something Poster Project is a poster design competition and gallery show created to give designers the opportunity to use poster design to say something that will inspire, motivate and educate teenage kids.

Download the Call for Entries PDF Online Voting: Nov 15 – Dec 31.