Session: Fall Protest + Print, 2022

Artists: 14 students

Materials: 11×17 paper, risograph machine, drafting paper, rubber block, block printing ink, brayer, roller, plexiglass, wheatpaste glue, plywood, bandsaw

Description: In our fall Protest + Print session, our students reinterpreted traditional safety signs to convey their own understanding of safety (or the lack thereof) in society. They created a phrase that served as a linguistic twist on safety sign language; for instance, instead of “Yield to oncoming traffic,” a student wrote, “Never Yield to Critics,” or instead of “Share the Road” with an image of a bike, there was “Share the City” with an image of a tent to symbolize the homelessness crisis in the Bay Area. Our students carved their text and image into an 11×17″ rubber block, which they then printed on large paper in multiple colors. They wheatpasted it to a piece of plywood, and used the bandsaw (accompanied by instructor Emily Pilloton-Lam) to cut out the shape of their sign. They also used the risograph machine to translate their images into colorful prints.