Mary V. Marsh
Oakland, California
mvmarsh.com
TABLOID!
2018
handset type, linoleum cut, and vintage cuts on Rives Lightweight, with slipcover
Closed: 12.5 x 9.5″, 8 pages
Artist Statement
I’m interested in the transformation of communication technology and changes in our reading habits. At a time when major city daily papers have been reduced from broadside to tabloid format, like my hometown paper, The Oregonian, this project became a reaction to and a processing of the tabloid voice that comes from the White House. The tabloid format and tone both satirizes and reveals our current news environment.
I collected headlines and articles that made me feel anxious about technological changes in our communication systems, and political changes affecting access and control. Most were found in the Friday New York Times which I buy every week, from January–July 2018. I handset the headlines with lead and wood type, selecting typefaces to emphasize the hyperbole. I hand-carved linoleum blocks of newspaper articles and photos, the historic technique contrasting with the continually updated digital information on our screens. Printing each element on a Vandercook proof press, in a similar way as early newspapers, I slowly filled the eight pages. The soft and delicate Arches Lightweight gives a luxurious feel to what would be a throwaway item.