Contact: Art Gallery Director, Susi Muddiman (02) 6670 2792 or Communications Officer – Media, Fran Silk on (02) 6670 2575

Punk, politics and art on show in new exhibition Wednesday, 27 February 2019 Self-made: zines and artist books is an exhibition showcasing the eclectic world of independent publishing, from exquisite handmade artist books to radical low-fi zines, on display at Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre from Friday 1 March 2019. Developed in partnership with Sticky Institute, Self-made will display rarely-seen material from State Library Victoria’s collection of artist books and its zine collection – the largest and most comprehensive in Australia. The exhibition was first displayed at State Library Victoria in Melbourne and is now on a regional Australian tour. Exhibition curator Monica Syrette said Self-made will take visitors on a journey through the colourful and sometimes controversial evolution of self-publishing. “The history of zine-making and self-publishing is inextricably linked to influential counter-cultural movements and social activism. “What we’re displaying – items like sci-fi zines from the 1940s, punk zines from the seventies and contemporary feminist zines – are all reflections of the political and cultural movements of the time. “The artist books in Self-made were also ground-breaking, designed to circumvent the commercial gallery system and make art easily available to all.” The exhibition features works by leading international artists including Swiss German artist, Dieter Roth; Pop Art influenced American artist, Ed Ruscha; pioneering conceptual artist Sol LeWitt; and renowned Australian painter, sculptor and printmaker, Robert Jacks; alongside works by contemporary artists and zine-makers. More than 170 works will be on display, including a dedicated reading lounge, revealing the breadth and beauty of artist books and zines. Included in the exhibition will be a local component, featuring artist books by Northern Rivers artists Christine Willcocks, Helle Jorgensen, Meredith Crowe and Travis Paterson, as well as works from the Tweed Regional Gallery collection. “It is a fantastic opportunity that the Gallery is able to include the voice of artists from our region in the broader national narrative of artists books and zines. There is a strong practice of printmaking within the Northern Rivers and artists books have been pursued by these selected artists as either a key element of their practice or as a point of experimentation,” Director of Tweed Regional Gallery Susi Muddiman OAM said. All are welcome to attend the opening celebrations on Friday 15 March at Tweed Regional Gallery. At 5.15pm Exhibition Curator Monica Syrette will hold a preview talk, then at 6pm she will officially open the exhibition. Image credits:

• Jessirose Streker, Portraits I Painted of Inspirational Figures from around thw World, Melbourne, Part/Time Press, 2015, State Library Victoria

• Kione Kochi, Self-publish to Bypass Gatekeepers and Power Structures, Chicago, Half Letter Press, 2015, Rare Books Collection, State Library Victoria

• Garry Trinh, Onlookers, Sydney, self-published, 2014, Rare Books Collection, State Library Victoria