Nov 03, 2015 B.I.B 999 – An Exhibition and Illustrated Documentation of 999 Black Markers by Allister Lee
My friend Allister Lee is a Toronto-based graphic artist who keeps busy doing gigs for skate and apparel brands such as Nike, Element, Maharishi, and Stüssy. But he makes time to do stuff on his own, too. I especially like his loving tributes to Chinatowns around the world as well as his reappropriation of B-list African-American Silver Age superheroes. Allister happens to have a show that opens Friday, November 6 at the One Grand Gallery in Portland, OR, that will showcase personal work as well as his obsession with collecting and cataloging black markers. How could I not ask him some questions about it?
How did the upcoming exhibition come to be?
I sent out a B.I.B 500 marker poster to the folks at One Grand Gallery about three years ago to a supportive response, and we’ve been trying to sync up an exhibition ever since.
I locked in this month’s exhibition date last year, hoping I’d be able to present a “1,000 Black Marker Exhibition” to correspond with the name of the gallery. My work has kept me away from exhibition preparation and being able to execute everything I had in mind, so now I am presenting B.I.B 999 – An Exhibition and Illustrated Documentation of 999 Black Markers.
What will the exhibition entail?
For the first time on view to the public, 999 physical markers from my collection will be displayed alongside a 1:1 scale illustrated documentation of each marker. Integrated within the space is a gift-shop-like installation featuring a selection of Black Is Beautiful printed matter and product including vintage black markers for sale.
It’s also the first time I’ve been able to sit with the collection and devise optimal methods of display while factoring in logistics and costs. It’s been an invaluable opportunity to workshop concepts, execution, and other challenges as I work toward developing a traveling B.I.B 1,000 Black Marker exhibition and assortment of commemorative projects and products in the year ahead.
How exactly will you be displaying so many markers?
999 Black Markers have been curated and arranged in a specific order that runs more-or-less according to size and scale. They will be presented across six custom-built wooden display cabinets, aligned so each row runs continuously from cabinet to cabinet over a total of four rows. Each row is comprised of four sections of top-and-bottom acrylic risers.
Black markers rest on the laser-cut acrylic top-and-bottom risers, which are notched onto acrylic bases for support. The acrylic bases are slotted into punch-cut sections of the synthetic felt base inside each cabinet for further support. The cabinets are then mounted onto metal sawhorses and arranged in a continuous line that runs approximately 34 feet long.
Have you celebrated or showcased your markers before?
I’ve created special projects to commemorate certain numbered marker acquisitions in my collection. For the 50th marker, I made a stationery set. For the 100th marker, I made a zine. For the 500th marker, I made a printed poster. The goal for each special project is to share my love of black markers with an increasingly larger audience.
Did you have to do a lot of cataloging and organizing or were they ready to share?
There has been a lot of cataloging and organizing every step of the process. I’ve run through the organization of the initial marker line-up five times in a dummy workspace marked out with masking tape. Each marker has been digitally measured with a caliper to develop the laser-cut acrylic risers.
I still have to revisit the BlackIsBeautiful.ca website to re-order the marker database so it corresponds with the layout of the marker cabinet. That way people can consult their phones or tablets as an exhibition guide. This new sequencing will also force me to re-organize all my database photo and illustration image files so that they correspond with this layout, too.
Do you expect people to study all 999 pieces?
I expect people to study the markers with a varying degree of interest and involvement. With 999 black markers on display, viewers will definitely find something new with each look and will be able to pick out a few black marker favorites from the bunch.
What effect do you hope the collection will have on visitors?
I want visitors to explore their own unique connection to black markers. How do they use these simple tools as a method of communication? What little memories may be attached to certain markers included in the collection?
I also want visitors and black marker users to know their tools and see what variety exists in an international and historical spectrum. To appreciate the design aesthetic of form and function–label design and type–that is unique to each black marker.
Finally, I want visitors to think about their own collections and passions by sharing with them one of mine.
I like Portland a lot and wonder what you’ve been checking out during this particular visit.
I like the mix of city + nature + industrial + creative + hobos, and each time I come to Portland, I see different sides of the area. This time around I’ve been eating a lot at the Original Hotcake House. It’s a 24-hour spot with all-day breakfast and diner-type fare.
Other places of note are:
Pendleton Woolen Mill – Carries the largest selection of fabric, remnant, and mill ends.
Hand Eye Supply – Leading-edge shop that marries utilitarian goods + tools + work wear within a really great build-out space.
Portland Outdoor Store – I get $10 black Pendleton bandannas there.
SCRAP PDX – Really great range of art supplies and material. Good black marker finds.
Poler Flagship Store – Nice physical manifestation of the brand identity. Showcases a great range of “outdoor stuff” from a rapidly developing and innovative brand.
Let me know if you might be in the neighborhood!
Check out Allister’s work at allisterlee.ca, visit the One Grand Gallery at 1000 SE Burnside Street in Portland on November 6, and follow Imprint on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, too!