Printed Matter / St Marks is thrilled to present Richard O. Tyler Phalanstery, an exhibition in collaboration with Uranian Phalanstery director Medi Matin. This exhibition showcases The Planets and other print works and broadsides from Uranian Press, a renowned imprint founded in 1974 by artists Richard O. Tyler and Dorothea Baer. The exhibition will open with a reception on Saturday, April 8, from 5-7 PM, and will be on view at Printed Matter / St Marks Windows facing 2nd Avenue and St Marks through May 21.
Produced as both an artist book and a print portfolio, The Planets is an astonishing graphic ode to the celestial bodies. Two prints are devoted to every planet, each with an abstracted figuration, one titled with the planet’s name, the other overlayed with a text piece declaring the astrological attributes. Printed in a rich palette of black, aqua-blues and gradations of red and umber, this series of woodblock prints on rice paper is a remarkable demonstration of Tyler’s mastery of the medium.
Richard O. Tyler, a master woodblock printer, tattoo artist, and poet, was deeply involved in the avant-garde and countercultural scenes of the East Village and Lower East Side, but his work has been relatively under-acknowledged in the documentation of these movements. Uranian Press publications have been part of Printed Matter’s catalog for decades, and bringing this work to the East Village is an exciting homecoming of sorts, shining a light on a piece of this neighborhood’s history that has long been overlooked.
Born in Lansing, Michigan, Tyler’s artistic journey was shaped by his experiences during World War II, witnessing the aftermath of the devastating bombings in Tokyo and the first atomic detonation in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He went on to work as a graphic artist and instructor in New York, and was instrumental in establishing the Judson Gallery along with artists such as Claes Oldenburg and Jim Dine. Tyler’s art practice encompassed experimental performance, music-making, and publishing/printing, rooted in an existential life-as-art doctrine. His Uranian Press, styled as an outlaw/fugitive imprint of the Phalanstery, produced numerous publications, including socio-spiritual tracts and manifestos, which he sold from a “free-press” pushcart that he wheeled around the East Village on a daily basis.
The exhibition at Printed Matter will feature a compelling selection of Richard O. Tyler’s works, including his distinctive woodblock prints, broadsides, and fine art editions. This exhibition is a rare opportunity to explore Tyler’s profound contributions to the intersection of art, spirituality, and counterculture, and to rediscover his important role in the vibrant art scene of the East Village. Don’t miss this captivating showcase of Richard O. Tyler’s Phalanstery at Printed Matter / St Marks.
