Kickstarter

The art group Temporary Services and their imprint Half Letter Press is proud to collaborate with artist and activist Mary Patten on a forthcoming book: Revolution as an Eternal Dream: the exemplary failure of the Madame Binh Graphics Collective.

The book examines the political practice and visual propaganda of a now-obscure women's poster, printmaking, and street art collective based in New York City between 1975 and 1983. For a brief, intense period of time, the MBGC collaborated on projects against racism and in solidarity with national liberation movements, producing many beautiful multicolored silkscreened prints, note cards, banners, posters, leaflets, and other print ephemera before withdrawing into the isolation of a sectarian and militaristic political line. By 1982 its core members were in prison or underground.

Our aim with this publication is not only to chronicle an invisible history, but also contribute to a conversation about various models of political art and collaborative practice. Currently, many people are looking to the era of the 1960s and the 1970s, when "revolution was in the air, but never on the ground." Our goal is to make Revolution as an Eternal Dream a beautiful, enduring book - packed with reproductions of dozens of political graphics, many published for the first time - that will be affordable for anyone who wants to read it.

Temporary Services and Half Letter Press have a history of realizing everything we set out to do. We have published over 85 booklets and books, the vast majority of which have been self-funded and given away for free. Our goal is to make Revolution is an Eternal Dream a beautiful, enduring book with high production values that will be affordable for everyone who wants to read it. Funds raised through pledges on Kickstarter will offset printing and production costs, ensuring the book’s accessibility to a wide audience.

The finished book will be approximately 60 pages, full color throughout, and perfect-bound. In addition to its narrative, it will be packed with reproductions of dozens of posters and political graphics – some published in book form for the first time. In keeping with our other publications, it will be 8 ½” tall and 5 ½” wide. We plan to print at least 1,000 copies and sell the book for $10.00. It is being designed by Heather Anderson, a highly accomplished Chicago-based designer who shares our commitment to socially and politically engaged art practices.

Two pages from the book: