As part of an exhibition and artist residency, VSW introduces Implement, the latest participatory art project initiated by Bridget Elmer and Emily Larned, co-founders of ILSSA, Impractical Labor in Service of the Speculative Arts. Established in 2008, ILSSA is an evolving publishing & public practice platform committed to investigating labor, time, and what we value. ILSSA functions as a Union that fosters solidarity and creates opportunities for its members, and as a Research Institute that supports and publishes new ideas, communications, and resources. ILSSA’s Implement is a participatory art project that explores and expands the potential of the toolkit, inviting participants to consider and share what they deem to be essential tools for living. In addition to Implement, VSW will exhibit a selection of ILSSA publications as well as a collection of resources featuring artists who inspired and influenced the founding and development of the organization.

Implement is part of the Rochester Biennial in partnership with Rochester Contemporary Art Center and Gallery r.

Bridget Elmer is an artist living in Saint Petersburg, Florida. She is the co-founder of Impractical Labor in Service of the Speculative Arts (ILSSA), proprietor of Flatbed Splendor, and co-owner of Print St. Pete Community Letterpress. She received her MFA in the Book Arts and her MLIS from the University of Alabama and she has taught at Ox-Bow School of Art, Penland School of Crafts, Florida State University, and Colorado College. Her work can be found in the collections of institutions including Yale University, Tate Britain, UCLA, and the Brooklyn Museum. She currently works as an Instructor and Coordinator of the Letterpress and Book Arts Center at Ringling College of Art and Design.

 

Emily Larned is a printer and publisher, artist and designer, writer and educator. She makes things by hand and organizes collaborative, socially engaged art projects. She is co-founder of Impractical Labor in Service of the Speculative Arts (ILSSA). Through her imprint Alder & Frankia, she publishes handmade, collaborative books with other artists, thinkers, and doers. Emily’s artist books and publications are collected by over 70 institutions internationally, including the Tate, the Brooklyn Museum, the V&A, and the Smithsonian, and are exhibited around the world. She graduated from Yale School of Art with an MFA in Graphic Design. Emily is currently Chair and Associate Professor of Graphic Design at SASD, University of Bridgeport, in Connecticut.

Opening

First Friday, October 6, 6 -9 pm

Visitors are invited to contribute to the ongoing exhibition of Implement during the First Friday opening event.

Gallery Talk

Saturday, October 7, 2 pm

Join Emily Larned as she discusses the ongoing work of ILSSA and the development of Implement.

Publications

ILSSA publications are available in the VSW Bookstore, as well as books and zines by co-operator Emily Larned, and a selection of resources featuring artists and writers who inspired and influenced the founding and development of the organization.