!Printing the Revolution!: The Rise and Impact of Chicano Graphics, 1965 to Now

Chicano graphic artists have used their work to imagine and sustain identities and political viewpoints during the past half century, asserting their identity through printmaking and activism. ¡Printing the Revolution! explores the legacy of Chicano graphic arts, their advanced printmaking methods, and their unique role in shaping critical debates about U.S. identity and history.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 344 pages
Publication date: 01 December 2020
Publisher: Princeton University Press

The 1960s were a transformative period for Mexican Americans in the United States, marked by the rise of the Chicano civil rights movement, or El Movimiento. To reclaim the term Chicano, which had been used as a derogatory label, became a political and cultural statement. Chicano graphic artists asserted their identity through printmaking and activism, creating visually captivating graphics that catalyzed audiences.

¡Printing the Revolution! delves into the significant legacy of Chicano graphic arts in relation to major social movements. It explores how artists and their cross-cultural collaborators advanced printmaking methods, and the unique role that printmaking played in shaping critical debates about U.S. identity and history.

The book examines a range of artistic mediums, including satire, portraiture, and politicized pop. It explores how artists used posters and prints to announce labor strikes, cultural events, and political prisoners' plights, as well as to educate viewers about Third World liberation movements.

While screen printing was the dominant mode of printmaking during the civil rights era, the book also considers how artists have embraced a wide range of techniques and strategies, from installation art to shareable digital graphics. It shows how artists have used and continue to use graphic arts as a means to engage the public, address social justice concerns, and wrestle with shifting notions of the term Chicano.

Lavishly illustrated with three double gatefolds, ¡Printing the Revolution! presents a vibrant look at the past, present, and future of Chicano graphic arts. It offers a comprehensive examination of the contributions of these artists and their collaborators, and their impact on the broader cultural landscape.

Weight: 2140g
Dimension: 239 x 310 x 37 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780691210803
Edition number: Flexibound