Art organization Graphite focuses on provoking conversation, not specific art forms
Graphite is a Los Angeles arts organization dedicated to producing critical and creative projects in an integrated physical and digital space. Formed in 2009 and supported by the Hammer Museum at UCLA, Graphite's undertakings are a reaction to the expansion of communication infrastructures and information technologies that reconfigure the possibilities and paradigms of a traditional publication. They explore new categories and speeds of artistic production and consumption, while insisting on a tangible and material engagement with community.
"Gabe Pine explores a conceptual pairing of love and action movies in his poem “Bonus Round.”
The final lines opine, “Action movies are faster now because every action movie rushes home to a love poem.”
Pine published his work in May on the online platform for the art organization Graphite. Like much of Graphite’s published content since its inception in 2009, the poem provides a means by which to make sense of the world, said Haley Penn, a first-year design media arts student and designer for Graphite. The staff consists of UCLA students, but anyone may send in submissions to be published in the journal or online platform, which may take the form of poetry, films, articles and other art.
“Although we receive submissions from around the world, Graphite is really run by UCLA students who want to support each other and create networks that will help us get our work published,” Penn said. “It helps us to engage critically with one another and foster community.”
Graphite, supported by the Hammer Museum, consists of three platforms: a journal, a blog and public programming events at the museum, said Francesca Consagra, a second-year art student. The journal incorporates a new theme each year that is meant to provoke ideas around a pre-existing concept. Last year’s theme was “manual,” which involved work based off instruction manuals or how arguments are broken down into steps, Penn said. The staff chooses the year’s theme during their meetings in early September by discussing relevant events, whether they involve the political climate at large or local happenings at UCLA."— Kaia Sherry, May 15, 2018
This post is an excerpt, read the full article on the Daily Bruin website.
Stay engaged. Use #UCLAarts to stay connected.
