The Reading Room
A Temporary Space for Artists’ Books, Publications and Multiples
Friday, June 11, Noon – 2 p.m.
Miami-Dade Public Library System, Main Library Children’s Room, 101 W. Flagler Street, Miami
With special guests:
Cristina Favretto, Head of Special Collections, University of Miami Libraries; founder of the Zine Collections at the Sallie Bingham Center for Women’s History and Culture at Duke University; Tasha Lopez de Victoria, artist, TM Sisters; Carol Todaro, artist, educator, bookmaker, printmaker; Ximena Izquierdo, artist, student, assistant director, University of Wynwood
With special feature:
A selection of zines from 1992-1996 from the collection of seminal zinestress Scapula Ray
Photo by Jenna Freedman, Barnard College Zine Library.
On the second Friday of each month, a secret room in the Children’s Room at the Main Library becomes The Reading Room. Visitors can stop by any time between Noon and 2 p.m. to get up close and personal with selections from the Library’s collection of artists’ books, publications and multiples.
The theme of this month’s Reading Room is zines and obsolete technologies. There are many definitions for zines, but they tend to be do-it-yourself or independently produced and distributed publications. Often they are fueled by the personal expressions or obsessions of their creators. Some trace zines to fanzines, publications created by 1930s science fiction fans. Zine librarian Alycia Sellie writes, “Others believe that the medium was more influenced by the punk rock movement of the 1970’s. Many refer to the legacy of zines in the pamphlets and broadsides published as far back as Thomas Paine and Benjamin Franklin, or to the works of the Dada art movement.” In the 90s, zine culture thrived among women and girls as part of “the riot grrrl movement’s reaction to sexism in punk culture..and the rise of third wave feminism.”
Because zines are often created on Xerox machines, we’ll also be talking about the use of obsolete technologies in art and elsewhere. On special display this week is a selection of rare, early-mid 1990s punk/feminist photocopy zines from the collection of Oneco, FL-based zinestress Scapula Ray including Libel, Pawholes, Hey 19, Action Girl, and many others.
As always, there will be coffee and cookies. We may also talk about the World Cup.
For more information about exhibitions and programs at the Miami-Dade Public Library System, visit http://mdpls.org/news/exhibitions/exhibitions.asp
