6-8pm
Ace Hotel
20 West 29th Street
The Galllery
With Relics of the Old Skool, Almighty & Insane Books explores the subcultural history of late twentieth century Chicago through its first two books: Beyond Heaven: Chicago House Party Flyers from 1983-1989 and Thee Almighty & Insane: Chicago Gang Business Cards from the 1970s & 1980s.
Each collection reflects a unique set of pre-digital aesthetic and practical values — business cards showcase design within the dark underworld of gang culture tied into the city’s class, racial, and power structures; flyers document house music finding its post-disco origins in underground gay clubs and expanding out to become one of the city’s greatest musical exports. The exhibition will feature select pages from deconstructed books along with original ephemera and will run for two weeks in conjunction with Printed Matter’s thirteenth annual NY Art Book Fair.
Based in New York, Brandon Johnson’s Almighty & Insane Books examines and preserves cultural histories from the city of Chicago through the medium of well-crafted publications.
Runs Monday September 17th- Monday October 1st
