A Pressing Conference by Macon Reed & Psychic Pharmacy by Howard Hurst at SPRING/BREAK Art Show, New York, March 6th - 12th, 2018.

A Pressing Conference by Macon Reed

HELEN TOOMER PRESENTS:
A Pressing Conference by Macon Reed & Psychic Pharmacy by Howard Hurst
SPRING/BREAK Art Show, NYC: March 6 - March 12, 2018

PRESS RECEIVED:

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A Pressing Conference By Macon Reed, presented by Helen Toomer

A Pressing Conference is an immersive installation, participatory project, and resource guide for those interested in resisting and responding to the current political crisis. We are living in a time of fear, isolation, and misinformation- all increasing at lightning speed- and yet there is a rising energy for resistance and alliances between strangers are being formed locally and globally.

Authoritarian states throughout history often begin their consolidation of power by discrediting the press, spreading propaganda that leaves people unsure about what is real, and creating distrust. Bringing together performance artists, organizers, historians, and others - A Pressing Conference is a vibrant platform focused on providing truth in a world of fake news.

The installation is based off the official White House's James S. Brady Press Briefing Room- a podium, presidential backdrop, flags, columns, microphones and seating chart. However, viewers will find a space of brightly saturated color, irregularly shaped forms, subtle shifts in size and form, and curious materiality to allow an other-worldly shift in the role of the space in question.

Performances will take place daily at 1pm and 4pm. The public is also invited to step up to the podium to share visions of what news briefings might sound like from their perspective. We encourage visitors to share their thoughts and photos on social media, by including #apressingconference in the caption.

Macon Reed, A Pressing Conference, silkscreen print, edition of 100, for $100 each.

This installation is part of an ongoing project which will include further performances and interactions, with the aim these will be filmed and streamed on a dedicated website with additional resistance materials for further conversation, outreach, and action. Performance artists, historians, musicians, organizers, teachers, and a wide array of other voices will be amplified as this project is activated across various platforms and community locations. SPRING/BREAK is a perfect place for A Pressing Conference, as it's a connective, supportive and promotive platform in which the project's impact will surely be maximized.

Thank you to everyone who participated in A Pressing Conference by Macon Reed and posted images and videos here - #apressingconference 

For further information, please email Helen Toomer hello@helentoomer.com              

 

To view all 100 Psychic Pharmacy drawings - click here.

To view all 100 Psychic Pharmacy drawings - click here.

Psychic Pharmacy drawings are only $150 each.

Psychic Pharmacy drawings are only $150 each.

Psychic Pharmacy By Howard Hurst, Presented by Helen Toomer  

The history of the United States is colored by the the acquisition of personal wealth. No time embodies this spirit more than the gold rush. Tens of thousands of hopeful strangers swarmed across the Rockies in search of unclaimed natural resources. The majority of those who made this journey ended up impoverished and stranded. Businesses like saloons, outfitters and brothels that sprung up to feed upon the ambitions of others became a ubiquitous part of the history of the American West. No symbol better embodies this instinct to feed off of the desire of others than the snake oil salesman. This roving huckster became a cultural folk hero, a symbol of unabated entrepreneurial ambition. Using a mixture of faux science and mumbo jumbo, the snake oil salesman would pull into a town and put on a mesmerizing carnival show, conjuring unknowable secrets from far away and promising miraculous results. This traveling salesman is the predecessor to a long line of confidence men promising a quick fix for a better, healthier life. The diet pill, the pyramid scheme, faux new age healing, the salvation of the all knowing cult leader, or the spiritual satisfaction that is supposed to accompany the ownership of an astronomically expensive painting; we live in a society that perpetuates the need to find physical and spiritual refuge in traditions that are unfamiliar or clouded in mystique.

Psychic Pharmacy is a roadside apothecary that draws on America’s love affair with both the conman and the obsession with self help. An immersive installation that draws on the aesthetic of new age healing serves as both a showroom and diagnostic workspace. A psychic pharmaceutical technician inhabits the space and offers free procedures to all visitors. After their consultation, visitors may acquire one of 100 “prognosis” drawings that identify the psychic ailments that they could be suffering from. Rooted in a playful cartoon style, the artist’s drawings underline and make light of the idiosyncrasies and sadness of modern day life. Using his DIY aesthetic, artist Howard Hurst has created a visual universe which highlights the naked ambition that fuels American healthcare and the various shadowy figures that exploit our fears and insecurities.

Thank you to Head Performance Artist Megan M. Garwood and Ben Spielberg, James Stevens and David Trumpf for performing. Images and videos here can be viewed here - #psychicpharmacy 

For further information, please email Helen Toomer hello@helentoomer.com            

Psychic Pharmacy by Howard Hurst at SPRING/BREAK Art Show. Pictured: Howard Hurst & Head Performance artists Megan M Garwood, photo by David Trumpf

Psychic Pharmacy by Howard Hurst at SPRING/BREAK Art Show. Pictured: Howard Hurst & Head Performance artists Megan M Garwood, photo by David Trumpf