Slog

News & Arts

Line Out

Music & the City
at Night

« UW President Says Saving Colleges I… | Westboro Faggy Fags Apparently Canc… »

Friday, February 10, 2012

Visual Art Currently Hanging: Cris Bruch's Ration Stamps

Posted by Jen Graves on Fri, Feb 10, 2012 at 10:10 AM

Courtesy Lawrimore Project

Seattle artist Cris Bruch has released a new series of limited-edition woodcuts based on designs from World War II ration stamps. They feel timely and just right coming from Bruch, given his longtime emphasis on bold formal gestures as well as committed politics.

He says:

The rationing program was instituted to ensure adequate supplies of necessary commodities for the war effort, to prevent civilian hoarding, and to provide for an equal distribution of food and commodities to the civilian population of the US. I was struck by the magnitude of the program, and that the US government had made such a huge effort to get across messages that seem both quaint and utterly timely.
Given our current political environment, where any government effort to promote, however timidly, an equitable distribution of resources is decried as anti-American, I realize our national attitudes have become selfish and narrow by comparison. Rather than look for solutions to our economic problems in conservation and considered consumption, we are told that the answer lies only in stimulating consumer demand. Convinced of the inevitable good of wealth, excess, and economic expansion, we have completely lost touch with the concept of "enough."

The prints—woodcuts on rag paper, 8.75 by 8.75 inches per stamp, are only $125 each; get them by emailing here. (A full, uncut sheet of 6 stamps is 18 by 27 inches.)

Comments (3) RSS

Oldest First Unregistered On Registered On Add a comment

Ironically, the first thought that came into my head when looking at these was, "gosh, they're pretty, but do I really NEED to spend $125.00 on faux WW-II ration stamps?"

Posted by COMTE