Ayer Collection 0000

Tales of Power, April 1983

Poster, Tales of Power

D A Ayer

Screen print on poster board

22 x 28 inches

April 1983

© 1983 D A Ayer and Joseph Pinzarrone

Collection of David and Rebecca Ayer

Imagery came from photos Joe had from an earlier performance (1976 at the University of Deleware, as Joe explains). Both the maids in aprons and the bassoonist pope were hand-copied, cut out, and used as friskets over translucent vellum. Additional masking was done with rubber cement to create splatter text and the bassoon aura. The whole thing was then spray painted black to get the final image for phototransfer to a silk screen. Printing was a single impression using black and red inks together.

This copy is still in reasonable condition almost thirty years later because we reserved a few artist's proofs for posterity. Archival materials were not used, and the quality of the printing is laughable by NIU Art Department standards, but the job came in at the right price. I recall borrowing everything except the paper and photo emulsion, maybe the black ink.

At that point I was not a member of the ensemble, and still tend to think of this as my audition.