Exhibitions
ABZ2: ARTISTS' BOOKS, PRINTS, AND ZINES
Beverly and Sam Ross Gallery (Christian Brothers University) / 650 E Pkwy S. August 19 - October 4th
Corkey Sinks
Print is a medium where fine art, design, and writing intersect. Printed surfaces and pages are a part of our everyday experience, utilized for the exchange of information, entertainment, fashion, and advertising. Artists and designers today are offering urgent and playful observations of their present conditions, reflections on history, and speculations about the future in the form of printed materials. This exhibition presents a spectrum of contemporary approaches to print media with an emphasis on self-publishing.
The term “zine,” shortened from “fanzine” which is a play on “magazine,” appears to have originated around the 1930s when fans of science-fiction and horror began publishing their own booklets and pamphlets. These “zines” responded to the genres and offered fans a means to communicate with and support each other. As printing technologies became more affordable and accessible to the individual consumer, the zine form was embraced by activists, musicians, writers, artists, tradespeople, and hobbyists to quickly share ideas and connect with their communities. Though the internet has made it possible to share information nearly instantly, the desire to hold a book persists. Makers continue to host zine fairs, where self-publishers gather to sell and trade their publications.
ABZ2 is a sequel to an exhibition curated by Corkey Sinks that was on view at the Dixon Gallery and Gardens in 2018. The works presented are from the curator’s personal collection. Please be gentle with the objects and return them to the shelves after reading.
Corkey Sinks (b. Dallas, TX) is an artist and designer based in Memphis, TN. She has worked as the Graphic Designer and Production Manager at the Dixon Gallery and Gardens since 2015. Sinks received a BA in Media Studies from the Johnston Center for Integrative Studies at the University of Redlands, CA in 2005 and an MFA in Studio Art from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2012. After moving to Memphis, Sinks founded Walls Divide Press through which she designs and publishes artists’ books, zines, and multiples. She was the second Artist-in-Residence at Crosstown Arts in Memphis, TN, and she has participated in several project-based residencies including CAMP CARPA (The Craft Advanced Research Projects Agency), the Golden Dome School, and the Tulsa Artist Fellowship.
