Chuck Sperry

Here’s a video from Argentina (I had so much fun making) that gives you the sensation of the biggest, baddest art event I’ve ever had the pleasure of participating in.

I’m sharing this vid in the spirit of “Year in Review” — as a highlight of 2012. I’d give a thousand career-moves for two weeks of the love and generosity shown me in Argentina at the Trimarchi Festival in Mar del Plata, in Buenos Aires and Rosario. And in the end I think my instincts prove to be as sharp as ever, Trimarchi was the best — most life changing — invitation from the last year. I have made lasting friendships, important plans for the future with my Argentine brothers and sisters, and came home with a beautiful book to offer. Check out High Volume, right there next to this post!

I feel like I lived a full lifetime in Argentina, there was so much I experienced (And yes, sorry for the delay, I’ll be making a full post about Argentina after some New Years posters come out).

I took some time at the end of this year to recharge the batteries, make outlandish plans, meditate on what has been an incredible four year joyride with all of you devoted friends and collectors.

I took time to think about the future, and make some long needed changes at my studio. I’m solo at Hangar 18.

The colaborations at Hangar 18 will continue; I’ve just finished printing for Reuben Rude. And I’m presently in the middle of a colab with Zoltron. Meanwhile Scott Johnson has stopped by a few times to work on Mike Watt and other poster projects.

I got with the environment, and installed an environmentally safe washout area for screen preparation.

I’m consolidating my archives in a secure and controlled environment.

I acquired a second press, through Monolith Press (thanks much, Matt!) so she will start producing more art early in 2013, next to the one I’ve had for ten years (graciously acquired from Frank Kozik). With these two presses and their history, Hangar 18 is at the crossroads of San Francisco Postermaking you would expect.

So why the monthlong silence?

After going to Argentina for a whirlwind tour, stopping home for one day, and heading to New York City, little did I realize that I was heading right into the Eye of Hurricane Sandy.

Then while in New York – experiencing the hurricane – I learned of the passing of my step-mother Jody Timor, and the next journey emerged. I travelled home to Ohio to pay my respects, I took some time to see my loving family in Ohio.

Upon returning from Ohio, I made the trek by car to Seattle for the Ten Club Art and Poster Convention. I chose to go to Seattle by car, after flying across so many continents in October, because I enjoy this form of meditation, the kind of meditation that one conducts behind the wheel of a car. I reckon this kind of meditation is a uniquely American form of meditation, which has been overlooked in the anals of mediation-dom. But I prefer it to any other. Ha!

I met with so many great people in Seattle and Portland. I’ve got big plans in Portland this coming August of 2013. I’ll be making a solo retrospective — a massive showing of art from my entire career, everything I can gather — at People’s Art Portland, August 2013.

And, of course, I’ll be touring in Italy, and Europe next spring. I have a solo art exhibition with my dear friends at Mondo Bizzarro Gallery in Rome which runs from June 8 to July 10, 2013.

In Italy, I’ll be making a site-specific, large-scale installation in my dear, sweet, home-away-from-home, in my adoptive Italian village south of La Spezia — I will reveal more about this show as the time approaches — the installation is planned for mid-June.

2012 was full of journeys and new experiences from the four corners of the world. I foresee that 2013 will be full speed ahead, more travels, more to share.

2012 was a very, very good year! Let’s look forward to 2013!

And now, the good news, I’ve got some new posters coming out for the end of the year. Stay tuned.