Outlaws of Print: The History and Artists of the Underground Collective

The Outlaw Printmakers are a tight-knit group of international printers that formed in New York City in 2000 and largely names Richard Mock as their primary influence. Mock, whose narrative work is politically-influenced, is widely known from the New York Times op-ed pages from the early 1980s through the ‘90s.

The exhibition will tell the history of this group through ephemera, new work by the Outlaws, and lino blocks and work by Mock. Prints from Richard Mock, Tom Huck, Bill Fick, Carlos Hernandez, Artemio Rodriguez, Julia Curran, Joseph Velasquez, John and Charles Hancock, Kathryn Polk, Derrick Riley, Ericka Walker, Ryan O’Malley, Martin Mazorra, Sean Starwars, and Dennis McNett will be exhibited.

“Determined to assert their presence, the Outlaw Printmakers decided to collaborate at academic print conferences on alternative print happenings. Characterized by the DIY attitude of the unfunded, the artists used guerilla exhibition spaces, binder clip installations and sold cheap prints, no permission, no regrets. They built structures resembling half pipes plastered in monumental block prints, staged parades and memorials, included live bands and poetry slams, created costumes and masks, and welcomed the enthusiastic participation of artists, students and the public,” wrote Katherine Huntoon, a freelance curator and longtime friend of the Outlaws based in Santa Ana, CA.

This exhibition is curated by Dennis McNett and FWMoA Curator of Contemporary Art Josef Zimmerman.