Temporary Services Celebrates 10 Years
Posted November 29, 2008 by jmacphee in Events
Soon after I moved to Chicago in the late 90's, I decided that I loved life the most when making art, and that's what I wanted to do with as much of my time as possible. The anarchist scene in Chicago was strong, but art was far from central to it. There were some great artists and designers involved in projects like the A-Zone, but no one was really talking much about the role of art and culture in politics, or using it to reach outside of the small political and cultural communities that already existed.
It was in this context that I stumbled upon Temporary Services, and the beginnings of a whole world of alternative art practice in Chicago. I was interested in illustrations, printmaking and street art, forms of art that could easily be given political utility. Temporary Services helped introduce me to another world of political art, one not necessarily based in the production of art objects, but in experiences. Their early projects included creating a bunch of public distribution systems for ideas (signs, newspaper boxes, guerrilla library book placements), as well as having ever changing exhibition spaces which provided a location to launch free "temporary services": from a month of free haircuts, to a reading room, to free breakfast.
Temporary Services always provided a space to ponder the intersections of culture, politics and lived experience, which was a relief after feeling trapped by the often philistine and rote machinations of anarchist politics in Chicago in the early 2000's (meeting, meeting, writing long political text for a flyer no one will read, small protest, meeting, meeting). I didn't always understand all of Temporary Services' projects (turning your gallery into a month long homeless shelter seemed in many ways more cruel than generous), or agree with their theories (I'm in no way convinced that giving things away for free in any way subverts capitalism), but I was always inspired by the productivity and commitment of the collective, which has fluctuated in membership, but has settled for a number of years into a pretty sturdy tripod (Brett Bloom, Salem Collo-Julin, Marc Fischer). Each of them brings a unique perspective, history and skill set which makes for a varied and powerful practice that is hinged together with an overlap in interests regarding the nature of generosity, a general rejection of the commercial art world, a thing for collections of all sorts, and a commitment to the idea that art can and should engage, interfere with, and change both people's lives and the world.
That is an extremely long introduction to the fact that Temporary Services is having a 10 year anniversary party this coming Friday in Chicago, and if I could be in Chicago for it, I damn well would be!
TEN YEARS OF TEMPORARY SERVICES
A 10th anniversary celebration & the Chicago book release party for Public
Phenomena
Friday, December 5, 2008, 7:30 PM – 12:00 AM
At the Co-Prosperity Sphere, 3219 S. Morgan, Chicago
Temporary Services is celebrating their tenth year of existence with a party
and concert at the Co-Prosperity Sphere. Art and ephemera from their archives
will be on display, and items from their newly created Half Letter Press will
be for sale. Free food will be available and all ages are welcome.
MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT by
The Velcro Lewis Group
(the loudest swamp rock rhythm and power group that you've ever been able to
dance to)
Dead Druglords
(recorded salsa & cumbia beats with cardboard exiled criminals from Bogata)
Analog Zebras & Snebtor
(inexplicable sounds & images from Columbia via Lafayette, IN)
$5.00 admission ($15.00 gets you a copy of "Public Phenomena")
At the Co-Prosperity Sphere
3219 S. Morgan St, Chicago
Links:
Temporary Services: www.temporaryservices.org
Half Letter Press: www.halfletterpress.com
Co-Prosperity Sphere: http://www.lumpen.com/CPS/
Velcro Lewis Group: http://www.myspace.com/922889
Analog Zebras & Snebtor:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwuY4X8ifKk and
http://www.myspace.com/analogzebra
and http://www.myspace.com/snebtor
ABOUT PUBLIC PHENOMENA: What do trees growing through fences, roadside
memorials, and handmade basketball hoops have to do with the erosion of public
space in our cities? How can a sign asking people not to repair their car in
the street be an indicator of personal revolution?
Public Phenomena is a 152-page book of color photographs and writing about
instances of original and self-made interventions found in public space. It is
the result of years of research on common instances of small changes that
impact cities in a big way.
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