More Than Prints

Produced by Michael O’Reilly

The Print Center of Philadelphia is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. Their mission, according to the website, is to “encourage the growth and understanding of photography and printmaking as vital contemporary arts through exhibitions, publications and educational programs.” And as you might expect, after being around for 100 years, they are not afraid to do their exhibitions and publications a little differently. After all, this is the organization that over the last 100 years, featured work from Mary Cassatt, Pablo Picasso, Ansel Adams, Ann Hamilton, Art Spiegelman and Kara Walker, to name but a few of the illustrious artists that have graced the space of the small Rittenhouse Square gallery. Add to that list the name of Gabe Martinez – billing himself as a visual artist, Martinez does photography and pretty much everything else in this wide ranging show called Gabriel Martinez: Bayside Revisited. The show is a dramatic, immersive, multi-media exhibition that reflects on the history of Fire Island as it figures in the history of gay culture. The works in Bayside Revisited incorporate a variety of print and photographic processes including a site-specific film installation. In his ongoing exploration of the issues surrounding the legacy of gay activism, Martinez uses the printed image as a way to celebrate, memorialize and illuminate history, which echoes The Print Center’s approach to its Centennial.


Illuminating Still Film

Produced by Michael O’Reilly, Edited by Kelsey Styles

Artist Gabriel Martinez, whose work was exhibited at the Philadelphia Print Center as BAYSIDE REVISITED in late 2015, explains the process he uses to create reflections through film stills from the movie “Boys in the Sand” by Wakefield Poole.


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