Joseph Lupo

The imagery in this series of prints is compiled of appropriated imagery taken from an inventory of public domain comic book imagery from the early 20th Century, specifically focusing on characters expressing exacerbation and confusion through the question mark.

Though not explicitly expressed in the work, this series of prints began as a self-reflection of the disbelief, paralysis, and overwhelming feelings when considering one’s privilege and complicity with the continuous flow of news concerning racial justice, climate change, social inequity, homophobia, fatphobia, and war crimes across the world.

My work relates to Poststructuralist and Deconstructionist ideas about how we construct meaning, the fluidity of meaning and language, and our expectations and assumptions about how narratives and stories are constructed.

In this series of prints, I appropriate imagery and text from copyright free comics printed in the early 20th century. The imagery is usually edited down to create visual emphasis and the text is used construct English language anagrams. While the relationship between the image and anagram text can be absurd, sometimes fitting, enigmatic, or even poetic, it is always meant to be read as a new narrative. This process uses systems to create an alternative reality from a cultural artifact that was meant to be complete and thought to be concrete. My work relates to Poststructuralist and Deconstructionist ideas about how we construct meaning, the fluidity of meaning and language, and our expectations and assumptions about how narratives and stories are constructed.

In 2021 I rented time on a local digital billboard and I asked artists to create imagery to take over this commercial space with nonsensical messages.

This project is designed to appropriate space that is designated for commercial use, marketing, and messaging, expanding on a larger cultural conversation about the overlap of public and commercial space and the role art can have infiltrating these spaces. Digitized imagery has become ubiquitous in the United States, proliferated through social media, television, and digital billboards. While some of this imagery exists in a private space (a phone screen), much of this imagery is projected publicly (billboards) without consent. These commercial spaces are privately owned which prevents any kind of larger conversation about what imagery and information can or should be projected publicly, and if advertising should be in the public sphere to begin with.

Most messages displayed on billboards are succinct and to the point. They direct the reader to go online and make a medical appointment today or to buy specific commercial products. Lately messages with a cultural or political agenda have appeared. These images ask specific questions like “Have you talked to God lately?” or offer misinformation about vaccinations. Regardless of the language used, these messages have a specific intent. The imagery created for my billboard project will either have no message or an intentionally confusing or contradictory one. This project is designed to complicate and confuse the messaging and intended use of public commercial space and raise questions about our tacit acceptance of these spaces and offer alternatives to how they can be used. This form of cultural critique is often referred to as culture jamming, a more contemporary version of a 20th Century artistic and activist strategy called détournement. Culture jamming (and detournement) often utilizes media and commercial spaces to create an ironic or satirical commentary.

This series of prints uses text taken from Iron Man Issue 178 Volume 01 Published in 1984 to construct English language anagrams. This series features both the original text and the new anagram generated text. While the relationship between the original and anagram text can be absurd, enigmatic, or even poetic, it is always meant to be read as a new narrative. My work uses systems to create an alternative reality from a cultural artifact that was meant to be complete and thought to be concrete. I am influenced by Poststructuralist and Deconstructionist ideas about how we construct meaning, the fluidity of meaning and language, and our expectations and assumptions about how narratives and stories are constructed.

Three accordion books made of laser cut relief prints made from text taken from Iron Man Issue 178 Volume 01 Published in 1984. This series features the original text on the first page, alphabetized text on the second page, and the anagram text on the third page. These three books were made as a resident artist at the Scuola Internazionale di Grafica in Venice, Italy.

These books are intended as absurd attempts to challenge ideas about how meaning is created. This work is also a reference to William Burroughs and the “cut up technique” as well as DADAIST poetry.

Laser cut intaglio prints made from text taken from Iron Man Issue 178 Volume 01 Published in 1984. This series features alphabetized text found inside a single talk bubble. These prints are intended as absurd attempts to challenge ideas about how meaning is created. This work is also a reference to William Burroughs and the “cut up technique” as well as DADAIST poetry.

Laser cut relief prints made from text taken from Iron Man Issue 178 Volume 01 Published in 1984. This series features alphabetized text found inside a single talk bubble. These prints are intended as absurd attempts to challenge ideas about how meaning is created. This work is also a reference to William Burroughs and the “cut up technique” as well as DADAIST poetry.

CMYK silkscreen prints made from text taken from Iron Man Issue 178 Volume 01 Published in 1984. This series features alphabetized text found inside a single talk bubble. These prints are intended as absurd attempts to challenge ideas about how meaning is created. This work is also a reference to William Burroughs and the “cut up technique” as well as DADAIST poetry.

Silkscreens and intaglio prints are alphabetical lists of all the words used in the comic book IRON MAN Issue 178 Series 01. This continues investigations into ways of reorganizing the information presented in the original book. These prints also ask questions about how we understand and create meaning from information. In these prints, the entire story is presented in a way that is not immediately understandable. What new information, ideas, stories can be created from seeing the original story in this new way?

Series of CMYK silkscreen prints which incorporate an entire frame of imagery and the narrative. The figures in the original frame have been digitally eliminated. These prints ask questions about how we understand and create meaning from “incomplete” visual information. In these prints, elements of the original story is presented in a way that is not immediately understandable. What new information, ideas, stories can be created from seeing the original story in this new way?

Series of CMYK Silkscreen prints that focus on the background information from the Iron Man Issue 178 Series 01 comic book. These prints eliminate any foreground and figurative elements and only focus on the background. The style of the original drawing, the halftone colors, and the outline of the frame are the only references to these images coming from a comic book. These prints offer an opportunity to see a quiet and sublime image taken from a comic book.

These mini-comics are smaller and more physically accessible redesigns of the large scale silkscreen projects.

A series of CMYK Silkscreen prints based on full page layouts of Iron Man Issue 178 Series 01.

All original imagery is removed, only the dominant background color(s) remain. To achieve this effect, small parts of the original halftones were digitally collaged to create seamless color. Each print is 10″x6.5″, the same size as the original, printed on tan BFK paper.

Through these prints, I am hoping to talk about the color design and framing decisions comic book artists make regarding the layout of the page, and how that relates to storytelling in comics. I also enjoy the idea that I can make imagery taken from comics become almost non-representational, something comics are rarely intended to be.

A series of black and white silkscreen prints based on full page layouts of Iron Man Issue 178 Series 01.

All original imagery has been removed with only the frames and solid black talk bubbles remaining. All 23 pages of the original comic is printed on grey BFK. The intention of these prints were to talk about the decisions comic book artists make regarding the layout of each page, and how that layout relates to the story telling in comics.

The white rectangle is representative of the original page; 10″x6.5″. Two halftone shapes are used to coincide with the two story lines that appear in the original book. Pages 1-11 utilize the dot halftone and represents the first story. Page 12 is a transitional page that utilizes both the dot and the linear halftone. Pages 13-23 use the linear halftone and represents the second story.

This series of prints focuses on the ubiquity of comic book talk bubbles and our assumptions about them. These talk bubbles were taken from Iron Man Issue 178 Series 01. The original text has been eliminated and the talk bubble is filled in black. By eliminating the text, I hope the viewer considers how the look and presentation of these talk bubbles effects the way one interprets comics. These “incomplete” images provide an opportunity for the viewer to engage with what is provided and to complete the image with their own preconceived notions. Making us consider our stereotypes and assumptions as we imagine the missing text, characters, and settings of these images.

This series of prints focuses on the ubiquity of comic book talk bubbles and our assumptions about them. These talk bubbles were taken from Iron Man Issue 178 Series 01. The original text has been eliminated and the talk bubble is filled in black. By eliminating the text, I hope the viewer considers how the look and presentation of these talk bubbles effects the way one interprets comics. These “incomplete” images provide an opportunity for the viewer to engage with what is provided and to complete the image with their own preconceived notions. Making us consider our stereotypes and assumptions as we imagine the missing text, characters, and settings of these images.

From 2001 to 2009, I made artwork that confronted the viewer with handmade reproductions of receipts. Not only are receipts a mass produced form of print, but there is a large amount of public and private information written on them. The intention of this work is to offer the viewer information about myself from text located on receipts in order to create questions about language, consumption, reproduction, receipts, and art. On one level, this body of work can be seen as a metaphor of the myth of a stable language and a stable self. Each day offers new buying opportunities, and in turn new opportunities to define or redefine the self through commodities. Looking at the work as a whole, many have seen this series has a consumer diary. Lastly, this body of work opened up new formal challenges for myself as an artist. As a student of and a believer in the traditions of hand-made printmaking. This work is also a challenge to artistic and aesthetic traditions.

From 2001 to 2009, I made artwork that confronted the viewer with handmade reproductions of receipts. Not only are receipts a mass produced form of print, but there is a large amount of public and private information written on them. The intention of this work is to offer the viewer information about myself from text located on receipts in order to create questions about language, consumption, reproduction, receipts, and art. On one level, this body of work can be seen as a metaphor of the myth of a stable language and a stable self. Each day offers new buying opportunities, and in turn new opportunities to define or redefine the self through commodities. Looking at the work as a whole, many have seen this series has a consumer diary. Lastly, this body of work opened up new formal challenges for myself as an artist. As a student of and a believer in the traditions of hand-made printmaking. This work is also a challenge to artistic and aesthetic traditions.

From 2001 to 2009, I made artwork that confronted the viewer with handmade reproductions of receipts. Not only are receipts a mass produced form of print, but there is a large amount of public and private information written on them. The intention of this work is to offer the viewer information about myself from text located on receipts in order to create questions about language, consumption, reproduction, receipts, and art. On one level, this body of work can be seen as a metaphor of the myth of a stable language and a stable self. Each day offers new buying opportunities, and in turn new opportunities to define or redefine the self through commodities. Looking at the work as a whole, many have seen this series has a consumer diary. Lastly, this body of work opened up new formal challenges for myself as an artist. As a student of and a believer in the traditions of hand-made printmaking. This work is also a challenge to artistic and aesthetic traditions.