Devening Projects + Editions

In the off space, devening projects + editions presents Blonder Tongue Audio Baton, a collection of editioned portfolios, publications, prints, posters and packages by Chicago artist Alexander Valentine. The title of the exhibition borrows from the name of a 1950's analog graphic equalizer as well as the name of an album by the Swirlies, a Boston shoe-gaze band from the 1990s. Alex's experimental work with a small format offset press comes out of a 70s and 80s music and poster culture driven by immediacy and passion. Cheap Xerox prints, 'zines, ephemera and ads for rock bands have fueled and inspired a developing personal iconography by this important young graphic artist.

To celebrate the opening of Blonder Tongue Audio Baton, Alex will be hosting ONE FOR ONE FOR ONE, a collaborative soundtrack project and DJ set. For the duration of the evening, a select group of Chicago DJs will be playing a record, in response to record, DJ set. ONE FOR ONE FOR ONE features Jocelyn Brown (Clerical Error), Brian Case (Disappears), Aay Preston-Myint (Chances), Beau Wanzer (Hot on the Heels of Love), Joe Proulx (Smith's Night), Emily Elhaj (Implodes), Laura Deutsch (Three of Cups), Seth Sher (Ga'an), Jordan Williams (Flagrant Monday) and Alfredo Nogueira.

Alex Valentine received his MFA at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2011. He is an instructor in the Print Media Department at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He is a founding member of No Coast, formerly a retail, exhibition, and studio space dedicated to producing, displaying, and distributing artist projects. His recent projects include the Tokyo Art Book Fair and What It Is Gallery in Oak Park, IL.