KQED Radio, “The California Report” • September 17, 2012 • by Rachael Myrow
Free University Art School “Occupy Art” with Jon-Paul Bail
The Free University of San Francisco aims to make the highest level of education available, completely free, to any individual who wants it, regardless of color, creed, age, gender, nationality, religion or immigration status—a university free of money, taught for free. The only requirement for membership is a desire to teach and/or a desire to learn.
Jon-Paul Bail & Chuck Sperry, “Occupy Art,” Free University Art School Event
Every Sunday, February 5, 2012 through March 4, 2012 – 2:30PM to 5PM
Viracocha
998 Valencia Street (at 21st Street)
San Francisco, CA
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Course Description:
The Free University Art School is very proud to present Jon-Paul Bail prolific Bay Area artist who uses the streets of the world as his canvas. Since last year’s brilliant presentation – street action / wheat paste demonstration – at the Free University, Jon-Paul Bail has been extremely active making a series of “Hella Occupy” posters for the Occupy movement across the length and breadth of California. Based in the East Bay, “JP” set up a print station on site at Oscar Grant Plaza and the heart of the Occupy Oakland movement in the first days people gathered there. He began producing thousands of posters which have become iconographic to this historical event. As the movement spread and touched similar gatherings and actions across California, “JP” travelled and set up his mobile propaganda studio, printing at Occupy Oakland, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, and Occupy San Francisco. Jon-Paul discusses his motivations, methods and will bring our art class to a live on-site, print-making session at the Occupy Education action scheduled for March 1st – location to be disclosed later. Chuck Sperry and Jon-Paul Bail are collaborating on a poster design which will be printed in quantity in the class, and later printed live at the Occupy Education demonstration scheduled for March 1, 2012.
Come early / limited room!
Jon-Paul Bail / Chuck Sperry Collaboration in process:
Here is a sampling of posters Jon-Paul is presenting to the class – which he designed, printed and collaborated on:
Bio:
Jon-Paul Bail (JP) founded Political Gridlock in 1991 and has been posting street art ever since. JP’s work is branded by strong cohesive messages and relevant imagery, putting a funny and sometimes shocking spin on popular culture. His work reference issues that are based in local, national and global communities. His first company was called Reagan Wear and was co-founded with Ron Donovan from The Firehouse Kustom Rockart Company. Having studied silk-screening with Malaquias Montoya at California College of the Arts from 1986 – 1989, JP graduated from the San Francisco Art Institute in 1991. His poster titled Inhail to the Chief , which depicts Barrack Obama smoking a blunt, was featured in rap artist E-40′s music video featuring Dem Boyz in 2010. He has done print work for Winston Smith and Emory Douglas and has shown work in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Rome, Italy. JP’s art is in the collections of the Legion of Honor, Oakland Museum, and Center for the Study of Political Graphics and has been published in four political art books (Yo! What Happened to Peace, Reproduce and Revolt and two editions of Paper Politics).
Free University Art School – Fourth Demonstration / Documentation
Winston Smith’s class was not only informative, but extremely fun! Vale played straight man while Winston brought the house down with his quick wit, sharing his many years making some of San Francisco’s most inventive, challenging and subversive art. Winston shared so much cool art and so many hilarious stories during this class. Winston has a non-stop creative genius. Be sure to check out his books at Last Gasp. Lawrence Colacion snapped these pictures while the class progressed. Thanks to Winston and Vale for making this an historic occasion, enlightening The Free university Art School, and showing that true art can be purposeful and fun at the same time.
Free University Art School – Third Demonstration / Documentation
The first five week course offering for The Free University Art School was completed last Sunday, April 3, 2011, with Jon-Paul Bail’s presentation of a personal history of Oakland Street Art. Fitting perfectly into the Free University Art School’s step-by-step art of the street approach, the sweep and course arch of the four presentations:
1. Chris Shaw and I present Rock Art, and demonstrate printing techniques.
2. Blek le Rat – speaks to three decades of street art, defines the state of the art both high brow and low brow, and produces a stencil painting live.
3. Winston Smith – discusses his life and art, with me and Vale of RE/Search Magazine as moderator. Winston explored the long San Francisco tradition of DYI and punk art.
4. Jon-Paul Bail’s story of Oakland and San Francisco street art from 1980’s to present. I moderated and Ron Donovan printed JP’s street piece.
Jon-Paul culminates his class – and the Free U Art School first five weeks – by leading our class down Valencia Street in the Mission of San Francisco to make art on the street. We pasted Winston Smith’s Nuclear Scream, a reaction to the Japanese nuclear disaster.
Thanks everyone who came to learn, who came to teach, and for keeping the dream alive.
Eric Drooker at Fivepoints Arthouse, Free University Art School Event
The Free University of San Francisco aims to make the highest level of education available, completely free, to any individual who wants it, regardless of color, creed, age, gender, nationality, religion or immigration status— a university free of money, taught for free. The only requirement for membership is a desire to teach and/or a desire to learn.
Eric Drooker, Free University Art School Event
Friday, April 15, 2011 – 7:30PM to 9PM
Fivepoints Arthouse
72 Tehama Street (one block south of Howard Street / off 2nd Street)
San Francisco, CA
Bio:
ERIC DROOKER is a painter and graphic novelist, born and raised on Manhattan Island. He’s the award-winning author of “Flood! A Novel in Pictures,” and “Blood Song.” He designed the animation for the recent film, “Howl,” a movie based on the epic poem by Allen Ginsberg, who collaborated with Drooker on the book “Illuminated Poems.” His paintings appear on covers of “The New Yorker,” and hang in numerous collections.
ERIC DROOKER is a painter and graphic novelist, born and raised on Manhattan Island. He’s the award-winning author of “Flood! A Novel in Pictures,” and “Blood Song.” He designed the animation for the recent film, “Howl,” a movie based on the epic poem by Allen Ginsberg, who collaborated with Drooker on the book “Illuminated Poems.” His paintings appear on covers of “The New Yorker,” and hang in numerous collections.
Slide Lecture Description:
Visual artist Eric Drooker will project hundreds of images and explore his early years as a street artist in New York City. Although he continues to create radical street posters, he’ll demonstrate how his images function in various popular mediums. He’ll trace the evolution of his graphic novels into animation–as in the recent hit film “Howl”–and discuss his experiences creating public art, covers for “The New Yorker,” and his slow infiltration of the mainstream.
Lecture will be accompanied by the artist on a variety of musical instruments.
Visit: www.Drooker.com
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