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Barbara Madsen
Associate Professor
Mason Gross School of Art
33 Livingston Avenue
Rutgers the State University of New Jersey
New Brunswick, New Jersey, 08901 USA
Telephone: 732-932-2222 ext 838
Fax: 732-932-2217
Web: http://barbaramadsen.net/
Email: bmadsen@rci.rutgers.edu

Paper: “Poetic Terrorism: Billboards Against Intolerance”

Through my public billboards and banners I seek to address several social issues: the lack of understanding and empathy for people of differing races and beliefs, and seek to combat hatred and intolerance that is being taught within countries and communities.  My billboards also question the greed of companies at the expense of the environment.  In this paper I will talk about the five public works that I have done since September 11th, 2001, Including works from Newark: “Revenge Never Ends,” with a set of dominoes falling down; the Jersey City billboard “Eye 4 Eye = Blind,” featured one blue eye and one brown eye staring down questioning the logic of retaliation. Madsen did 3 works in the spring of 2005 in Washington DC. “OH!” is an image of a gas mask and smiling face with it’s mouth open wide. The second banner “Fear and Paranoia Win,” utilizes images of a mask, flying objects, and text. The third banner “ Who Decides Our Future?” features a black daisy and gas pipes. Madsen will also introduce new and upcoming billboard projects.

BARBARA MADSEN received her MFA degree from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. She is an Associate Professor at Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers the State University of New Jersey. She has taught at St. Cloud State University, Minnesota; Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Minnesota; University of Wisconsin/Madison; Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa; Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois; Brigham Young University, Utah; Southern Utah State College, Cedar City, Utah. Her works have been included in the Northern Ireland Print '98, Belfast, Ireland; Graphica Creativa '96, Jyväskylä, Finland; 3rd International Printmaking Biennial, Belgrade, Yugoslavia; 11th International Printmaking Biennial, Ibiza, Spain; Prints from Frans Masereelcentrum, Aumônerie St. Jacques, Gordès, France Chapelle des Pénitents Blancs, Espace des Arts, Provence, France; Mind the Gap, International Print Portfolio, Bristol, England; Edinburgh Printmakers Gallery: Edinburgh, Scotland; The Second Bharat Bhavan International Biennial of Prints, India; 15th International Independent Exhibition of Prints: Kanagawa, Japan; 10th Biennial of Visual Arts 2002, Pancevo, Yugoslavia. She has exhibited in over 50 juried competitions in the United States, and she recently had one person exhibitions in the Czech Republic, and Belgrade, Yugoslavia. Her recent billboard series was first displayed in Newark, and Jersey City, New Jersey. Her billboards are extending the boundaries of printmaking to the realm of public art in three upcoming venues in the Washington D.C. area in March 2005. She has been a visiting artist at Te Wananga o Aotearoa, Auckland, New Zealand, the Plains Art Mueseum, Fargo, North Dakota; Sopocani Art Colony, Novi Pazar, Serbia; Frans Masereel Center, Kasterlee, Belgium; Glasgow Print Studio, Glasgow, Scotland; Edinburgh Printmaker's Workshop, Edinburgh, Scotland; Palacky University, Czech Republic; Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Minnesota; Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana; University of Oregon, Eugene; Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire.