1. RECLAMATION The Art of Ben Venom, Ravi Zupa, and Lucien Shapiro
October 27, 2018-January 27, 2019
FWMoA Exhibition Resource

2. Exhibition view Concepts to consider throughout the exhibition:
The concept of Reclamation: ask students if this is a word they’re familiar with.
· It’s defined in the exhibition as the act of making something old or discarded new again.
· Why do artists reclaim or reuse old materials and found objects in their work?
· Look for materials and objects you might recognize as we move through the exhibition.
Installation: a work of art created for a specific space (or modified to fit that space) that changes how the viewer experiences a space.
· Ben Venom chose to display his quilts on patterned wallpaper.
· Lucien Shapiro’s work takes advantage of the high ceilings of the galleries and transforms the space with dramatic lighting.
How do these decisions affect how we experience their work?
Exhibition view

3. Ben Venom
· Ask: Does anyone know anyone who makes quilts? Who? What do you think of when you think of quilts? Do they have a function? Do these? How else are they different from more “traditional” quilts?
· Installation: Notice how the walls in this gallery have been transformed by adding wallpaper. What does this add to our experience of the artwork? Do you prefer the quilts displayed against a white wall or the patterned wallpaper? Why does the museum usually have white walls?
· What if these were paintings instead of quilts? Would that change their meaning?
I’m All In

4. Blue Collar, 2018
Look for patterns and materials you recognize (notice the labels!)
Ben Venom American, b   Blue Collar Handmade quilt with recycled fabric, 2018 Courtesy of the Artist  

5. Rise and Fall, 2017
Could this quilt be displayed upside down? Could this change the meaning?
What does it remind us of? (Playing card) Is this an image you’d usually see on a quilt?
Ben Venom American, b   Rise and Fall Handmade quilt with recycled fabric, 2017 Courtesy of the Artist  

6. War Machine, 2018
Notice the images on this quilt: a tiger, sword and shield, torch, etc. Would you expect to see these on a quilt?
Are these quilts functional? Would you use this quilt? Why or why not?
Can we find patterns similar to the wallpaper in this and other quilts?
Ben Venom American, b   War Machine Hand made quilt with recycled fabric, 2018 Courtesy of the Artist  

7. Men at Work, 2018
What is this quilt made from? Look for brand labels and places where the fabric is especially worn.
Why do you think Ben Venom used old pants for this quilt? Why use recycled materials in general?
FWMoA recently had our Amish quilts on display, which were also made from scraps—it’s a great way to reuse clothes that you can’t wear anymore! (Ben Venom was inspired by the quilts of Gee’s Bend. See further readings.)
Ben Venom American, b   Men at Work Handmade quilt with recycled fabric, 2018 Courtesy of the Artist  

8. Never Say Die!, 2018
What parts of this jacket were original? What was changed or added?
Anyone know the reference “Never Say Die!”? (The Goonies!) It’s a great example of the variety of influences Venom incorporates.
Is this art that belongs in a museum? Why or why not?
Ben Venom American, b   Never Say Die! Custom jacket made with heavy metal band t-shirts, collaboration with Truth Never Told, 2018 Courtesy of the Artist  

9. Ravi Zupa
Mightier Than

10. In this work, Ravi Zupa is “reclaiming” an image commonly associated with gun culture but using it to support the 1st Amendment instead of the 2nd Amendment. Explain that the 1st Amendment protects freedom of speech (also the press and religion).
Look closely at the “guns” in this print. Are they really guns? They’re typewriters (what we used to type before computers—they would print letters directly on paper as you type).
This series is called “Mightier Than.” Have you ever heard the phrase, “The pen is mightier than the sword?” What does that mean?
Ravi Zupa American, b   1st Amendment Silkscreen, 2018 Courtesy of the Artist  

11. Ravi Zupa American, b   FW-SMG-ROYAL (MODIFIED) Typewriter and stapler parts Courtesy of the Artist  

12. FW-SAW UNDERWOOD
Can words be just as powerful as an actual weapon? Is it better to fight with words than with guns? (What do you think the artist is telling us?)
Look closely at the bullets here. They’re actually pens!
The base of this sculpture is a book-binding press.
Title: SAW stands for Squad Automatic Weapon and Underwood is a typewriter brand (the “guns” all include the brand in the title).
Ravi Zupa American, b   FW-SAW UNDERWOOD Typewriter and stapler parts, antique book binding equipment, canvas strap, ammunition cartridge, pencils, Speedball pen nibs Courtesy of the Artist  

13. Assembly of bullet pens
Here is how the bullet pens are assembled. Notice the pencil inside!
The casings are actual, spent bullet casings that Zupa reclaims for a totally different use (and to make a statement against the violence that they were used for originally).
Assembly of bullet pens

14. American Bushido with FW-PISTOL-QUIET-DELUXE
“Bushido” is the code of behavior followed by Japanese samurai.
What can we notice about this figure? What is he doing? (Keep in mind that the gun he’s holding is a typewriter)
Although he is dressed like a warrior, he is not holding a violent weapon, and is instead a messenger since his “gun” produces words.
Ravi Zupa American, b   American Bushido Steel, ceramic, basket material, rope, military bag, sand bags, t-shirts, Peruvian blankets, cowboy boots, bicycle seat, shoes, wooden rice steamer, trash can, flag pole, American flags, Mexican sword, kitchen knives, metal bowl, "Mightier Than” gun sculpture Courtesy of the Artist  

15. Santa Muerte, 2018
VTS: What is going on in this picture? What do you see that makes you say that? What more can we find?
Guide students to look for text, mood, layers, and connections with other exhibits (like Day of the Dead!)
Ravi Zupa American, b   Santa Muerte Silkscreens, traffic cone block prints, acrylic paint, India ink, graphite and colored pencil, 2018 Courtesy of the Artist  

16. Lucien Shapiro
Thank You Darkness, Thank You Light

17. Gather your group just inside the entry to the gallery
Gather your group just inside the entry to the gallery. This is an installation created by the artist in this space.
What is your first impression when you enter this room? What do you notice first? What is the mood? How did Shapiro use the entire space (find the bird up near the ceiling!)?

18. The Snake was painting the spider and wrapping the reflection into the night while we rose into the morning brighter than the day we were born because we now knew darkness and light and ourselves, 2018
What reclaimed/recycled materials can we find on and around the snake?
Notice the glass—Shaprio collects broken glass from the side of the road. On the labels, the glass is called “street diamonds.”
Lucien Shapiro American, b   The Snake was painting the spider and wrapping the reflection into the night while we rose into the morning brighter than the day we were born because we now knew darkness and light and ourselves   Street diamonds, bottle caps, raven feathers, metal, rattle snake head, cone studs, glue, resin, salt, barbed wire, string and plastic, 2018 Courtesy of the Artist  

19. Look closely at one of the black outfits (Raven or Spider) to find reclaimed materials.
Compare the two black outfits against to the figures clothed in white. How are they different? What kinds of ideas do the different colors make us think of? Do the two black outfits have more of a unique “personality” than the white ones do? Why do you think that might be? Imagine them all as characters in a story or movie. What would the movie be about?
Shapiro did use these as costumes in a short film which we don’t have time to watch (contains some nudity). All of the sculptures in the room were also used in the performance.
Lucien Shapiro American, b   The Raven Raven feathers, street diamonds, resin, glue, string, gloves, jeans, reclaimed leather jacket, barbed wire, coral, quartz, bone, cotton, pyramid and cone studs, punker spikes, mace, ice picks and bottle caps, 2017 Courtesy of the Artist  

20. Look closely at one of the black outfits (Raven or Spider) to find reclaimed materials.
Compare the two black outfits against to the figures clothed in white. How are they different? What kinds of ideas do the different colors make us think of? Do the two black outfits have more of a unique “personality” than the white ones do? Why do you think that might be? Imagine them all as characters in a story or movie. What would the movie be about?
Shapiro did use these as costumes in a short film which we don’t have time to watch (contains some nudity). All of the sculptures in the room were also used in the performance.
Lucien Shapiro American, b   The Recluse (Spider) Bottle caps, street diamonds, brown recluse, string, wire and altered overalls, 2017 Courtesy of the Artist  

21. Look closely at one of the black outfits (Raven or Spider) to find reclaimed materials.
Compare the two black outfits against to the figures clothed in white. How are they different? What kinds of ideas do the different colors make us think of? Do the two black outfits have more of a unique “personality” than the white ones do? Why do you think that might be? Imagine them all as characters in a story or movie. What would the movie be about?
Shapiro did use these as costumes in a short film which we don’t have time to watch (contains some nudity). All of the sculptures in the room were also used in the performance.
Lucien Shapiro American, b   Carriers of Light Resin, putty, salt, street diamond, cloth, string, wire and repurposed work ware, 2017 Courtesy of the Artist