Totally thrilled about my bit in this amazing collaboration featuring the dynamic duo of graffiti ‘Godfather” CUBA (AKA Clarence Robbs) and artist/poet Marshall Weber. My large-scale spiral drawings serve as the back-drop for the incredible calligraphy by Cuba that transforms Weber’s intense word poetry on climate change catastrophe into a visual sensation.
The 12-foot expanse when opened is a fantastical word wonderland. The embroidered covers are of unknown Central American origin. The book is designed by Marshall Weber and bound by Sophia Kramer.
Cuba graffiti ‘Godfather’
CUBA is the primary creator of graffiti-style illuminated manuscripts and his unique collaborations are collected throughout the world. He has also painted over 800 large-scale murals throughout the United States, primarily in the San Francisco Bay Area. Cuba whose practice has often bridged the worlds of community activism, graffiti, and the art world has often been cited as an influence for many of the Bay Area ‘Mission School’ artists as well as other street and activist culture workers.
Marshall Weber, artist/poet, co-founder and directing curator of Booklyn, Inc
Weber’s artwork and poetry explore concepts of audience, the expansion of public space, and the decolonization of history and travel. His frequent traveling has sparked major bodies of ink painting, performance, photography, rubbing, and writing. He is also known for his outspoken advocacy and curatorial support for activist artists, social justice organizations, and cultural diversity. Weber received his MFA at the San Francisco Art Institute and went on to co-found Artists Television Access, one of the longest (still) running alternative media art centers in the US. Weber was an Interdisciplinary Arts Fellow of both the New York Foundation for the Arts and the McKnight Foundation. He has received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, Art Matters, and others.
More about Booklyn
Booklyn’s mission is to promote artists’ books as art and research material and to assist artists and organizations in documenting, exhibiting, and distributing their artwork and archives within the academic market. We specifically assist artists and organizations committed to environmental and social justice. We work towards our mission by documenting, exhibiting, promoting, and distributing their work within educational institutions worldwide. We envision a world in which art and bookmaking are tools for education, personal agency, community engagement, and activism.
More information about Booklyn and how you can support the book artists’ community can be found on the Booklyn website.
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