December 2, 2005 – January 22, 2006
Benjamin Franklin: An American Idol
Benjamin Franklin: An American Idol delved into three interrelated themes of Franklin’s life: technology, mass communication and civic engagement through an art exhibition and related program series of workshops, screenings, forums and parties. In a fashion reminiscent of this true renaissance figure, the project brought together the work of artists, publishers, printmakers, musicians, scientists, puppeteers and poets, as well as activists and scholars who addressed these themes in and through their work.
As the name suggests, Benjamin Franklin: An American Idol provided a forum to consider matters affecting the current state of democracy such as the transition from public debate to public spectacle, access to information and information overload in the digital age, the impacts of the Internet and modern communications tools on public discourse and the political process, the “democracy” of voting for favorite products and contestants on TV shows while election turnout rates decline, among other things.
The exhibition was interactive and continually evolving through technically advanced Internet and computer-based work and through colonial-era means such as letter writing and human interaction and also by way of a functioning letterpress.
Participants included:
• Design for Social Impact – This Philadelphia graphic design firm working for the public interest community has created a web based interactive installation which will plot civic engagement through the public’s individual interests and will manifest itself physically in the gallery space..
• Spiral Q Puppet Theater – This unique organization based in Philadelphia, whose history of mobilizing communities through the construction of full-scale giant puppet parades, toy theater and neighborhood pageantry forms the very basis of civic engagement. Selections from their Living Loft Museum will be on display and the public will be invited to participate in a miniature mobilization workshop on January 7th.
• Robert A Erb PHD/Silicone Studio – A highly realistic bust of Benjamin Franklin, based on the original Houdon portrait bust at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, created utilizing an advanced multi-layered intrinsic coloration silicone process.
• Jody Sweitzer – Benjamin Franklin’s 13 virtues is the subject of a video installation set in an authentic antique telephone booth.
• Katherine Sharpe/four hundred words magazine– Letter writing forms the basis of this collaborative publication in which participants are asked to write their autobiography in 400 words or less.
Other exhibiting artists include Ted Coffey, Pablo Colapinto & Peter Flaherty, Alicia Keller, Ryan Kelley, Print Liberation, Frank Sherlock & CA Conrad, Nicole Stranko, Alec Meltzer and D* of the Free Stars.
This was a pretty good read. I’m happy:glad I found this – from a antique phone enthusiast