Also this issue:

Feeling the '50s
CP's theater critics go Crazy for 1812 Productions’ stellar homage to 1950s comedy.
-David Anthony Fox and Toby Zinman

Taste Treat
Kitsch and high art cohabitate at Wexler Gallery's current show.
-Susan Hagen

Dolls to Remember
-Robin Rice

Philly-Nutt-Crak-Up
-Kristina Weise

Cirque loize
-Deni Kasrel

Santa Claus is Coming Out
-Debra Auspitz

Paul Taylor Dance
-Janet Anderson

The Consul
-Lou Camp

December 12-18, 2002

artpicks

Artifacts of the Improbable

by Paul Burress

James Lewes was on the periphery of the Philly punk scene when he arrived from England in 1982. Somewhere along the way he became the music scene's unofficial historian, amassing a vast collection of concert posters from both local and national shows. Now, Lewes -- whose collection of Philly rock fliers was featured in CP's Music Issue in October -- has gathered together concert poster artists from all over the world to take part in "Artifacts of the Improbable: A Celebration of Poster Arts."

The idea for the show started as a form of therapy for Lewes. "I was sick and tired of watching news about the sniper, the war and a collapsing economy," Lewes says. "So I decided to organize a poster show." The exhibition will showcase posters from a variety of countries, including artwork from Turkish hardcore and Brazilian skater punk shows.

Lewes seems invigorated by the response from the artists taking part -- "I have posters, at last count, from 110 artists. So far we have gotten work from most states in the union, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Croatia, Turkey, Russia, Germany, Scandinavia, Holland and the U.K. I have been promised work from Chile and Israel." Work from a selection of San Francisco poster artists from the late 1960s, such as Rick Griffin, Victor Moscoso, Greg Irons, Wes Wilson and Stanley Mouse, will be among those on display and about 30 artists are flying in for the show. Lewes' hope is simple, that people will "come, look and buy, as well as speak to the artists and find out about how they approach the production of posters."

Sat.-Sun., Dec. 14-15, Sher’s Book Shop, 706 N. Second St.; Opening reception Fri., Dec. 13, 8 p.m., $7, with Strapping Fieldhands and Sic Kidz performing, The Balcony, 1003 Arch St., 215-922-LIVE.