PHILADELPHIA, PA — A treasure trove of contemporary screenprints from the globally acclaimed print studio, Brand X Editions, is set to find a new home at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA). The museum recently announced that it had received a gift of over 350 screenprints from Robert Blanton and Brand X Editions, the New York-based studio he founded.
The gift is a vibrant collection of works by celebrated artists such as Mickalene Thomas, Rashid Johnson, Joel Mesler, Adam Pendleton, Alex Katz, Chuck Close, Jenny Holzer, Emily Mae Smith, Tschabalala Self, and others. The PMA anticipates the Brand X Editions Archive will continue to grow over time, encompassing new works produced by the studio.
To honor this generous contribution, the PMA plans to host a retrospective exhibition of Brand X Editions in 2025. Accompanying the exhibition will be a richly illustrated catalogue offering an overview of the studio’s history and the Archive. The Archive, along with related documentation, will be accessible for consultation in the PMA’s Department of Prints, Drawings and Photographs. Further, an online database will be established, providing a digital platform for research and study of these works.
The PMA’s CEO, Sasha Suda, expressed her gratitude for the gift, appreciating its significance. “This gesture is both a coup and an honor for the PMA in light of Brand X Editions’ tremendous impact on contemporary screenprinting,” she said. “We are proud to give these important works a permanent home.”
Louis Marchesano, the Senior Curator of Prints, Drawings, and Photographs, lauded Brand X for being at the forefront of the screenprint medium for over four decades. He emphasized how the studio has expanded the boundaries of traditional screenprinting, making it a vital medium for 21st-century artists.
“The addition of the Brand X Editions Archive to the collection of the PMA goes a long way toward building an authoritative resource on screenprinting,” said Marchesano. “We’re more than delighted to provide a home where these works can be studied and exhibited for generations to come.”
The PMA’s Department of Prints, Drawings, and Photographs has a deep-rooted connection with the history of screenprinting. It holds one of the most significant collections of early screenprints from the 1930s and 40s, championed by its first head, Carl Zigrosser.
Robert Blanton, the founder of Brand X Editions, expressed his pride in the studio’s work. “During that time, our team of unequalled printmakers has constantly sought to practice the traditional art of screenprinting at its highest level, while expanding the possibilities of what a screenprint can be,” he said. “With the establishment of the Brand X Editions Archive at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, we will be working with the PMA to help broaden the knowledge of this beautiful and nuanced medium.”
The Brand X Editions Archive promises to be a landmark addition to the PMA, providing art enthusiasts with unparalleled insight into the evolution and power of screenprinting. As the anticipation builds toward the 2025 retrospective, the PMA stands poised to offer a unique celebration of this vibrant art form.
The Philadelphia Museum of Art, situated at 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, stands as a renowned artistic hub drawing visitors from across the nation and around the globe. However, at its core, the Philadelphia Museum of Art caters to the rich tapestry of communities of the city it calls home.
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