In honor of MASS MoCA’s 25th anniversary, the museum is publishing a limited edition print portfolio featuring silkscreens by 11 artists who represent the institution’s dynamic history. MASS MoCA’s commitment to supporting artists at all stages of their careers and presenting groundbreaking art in all its forms is reflected in the diversity of these prints. Working across disciplines and generations, and representing MASS MoCA’s regional, national, and international network of artists, the contributors include Laylah Ali, Nick Cave, Alex Da Corte, Mark Dion, Cai Guo-Qiang, Ann Hamilton, Mona Hatoum, Osman Khan, Mary Lum, Elle Pérez, and Cauleen Smith.
Working in collaboration with master printer Gary Lichtenstein whose studio is located on MASS MoCA’s creative campus, this grouping of artists represents a quarter century of MASS MoCA’s programming, ranging from now-well-established and influential artists Laylah Ali and Mona Hatoum who mounted important shows with MASS MoCA in its early days to recent exhibiting artists Elle Pérez and Osman Khan whose works have been part of this anniversary year.
All of the artists have created indelible memories for MASS MoCA visitors over the years. Many are longtime friends of the museum who have returned to work with the institution again and again, including Mark Dion, Ann Hamilton and Mary Lum —whose unique sensibilities and explorations of taxonomies, textiles, and text — are recognizable in their prints. Nick Cave and Alex Da Corte offer glimpses of recent directions; Cave based his silkscreen on new large-scale embroidered works while Da Corte pays homage to fellow Venezuelan -American artist Marisol. Several artists reference MASS MoCA projects, including Cai Guo-Qiang’s sketch for the video Illusion which was included in his 2004 exhibition Inopportune and Cauleen Smith's cover of Annie Besant’s bookThought Forms which grew out the BLK FMNNST Loaner Library series from her 2019 exhibition We Already Have What We Need.
The breadth of artists represented in this portfolio are a reminder of MASS MoCA’s dedication over the past 25 years to showcasing the most vital art of our time. The portfolio’s title, 42°42’1”N/73°6’31”W (Coordinates Vol. I), reference the geographical coordinates of MASS MoCA, a unique place where a plurality of artists and ideas converge and creativity thrives unbounded.
The suite of prints are curated and published by MASS MoCA and printed by Gary Lichtenstein at MASS MoCA.
A SUITE OF ELEVEN SILKSCREEN PRINTS PRESENTED IN AN ARCHIVAL PORTFOLIO SIGNED IN PENCIL BY THE ARTISTS AND NUMBERED IN A
LIMITED EDITION OF 25
11 ARTIST’S PROOFS | 2 PRINTER’S PROOFS | 2 MUSEUM PROOFS
PRINTED
ON 320 GRAM COVENTRY RAG PAPER | 20 X 26 INCHES
Untitled portrait, Laylah Ali
Grapht, Nick Cave
Love, Alex Da Corte
Avian Morphology, Mark Dion
Sketch for Illusion, Cai Guo-Qiang
as one, Ann Hamilton
The Blues (MM), Mona Hatoum
Scheherezade 2.0, Osman Khan
that kind of blue, Mary Lum
Hindsight, Elle Pérez
BLK FMNNST Loaner Library: Thought Forms, 2019, Cauleen Smith
