At once affirmative and critical, the videos of artist collective Paper Rad synthesize popular material from television, video games, and advertising, reprogramming these references with an exuberantly neo-primitivist digital aesthetic. As member Jacob Ciocci writes, "In the '70s and '80s cartoons and consumer electronics were bigger and trashier than ever and freaked kids out... Now these kids are getting older and are freaking everybody else out by using this same throw-away trash."
The group's far-flung members hail from Texas, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, and also work in sound and music, clothing design, photography, comics, hand-drawn books, and writing. In keeping with their emphasis on current pop culture and media, the group presents ongoing Paper Rad activities and output via an eye-popping Web site (www.paperrad.org), which must be considered a work of art in and of itself.
Paper Rad's members are Benjamin Jones, Jessica Ciocci, and Jacob Ciocci. They began making projects together in 2000. Benjamin Jones was born in 1977 and received a B.F.A. from the Massachusetts College of Art. Jessica Ciocci was born in 1976 and received a B.A. in psychology and art from Wellesley College. Jacob Ciocci was born in 1977 and received a B.A. in computer science and art from Oberlin College. Paper Rad has performed and exhibited at Foxy Productions, Brooklyn, NY; the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago; the New York Underground Film Festival; the Boston Underground Film Festival; the Big Orbit Sound Lab, Buffalo, NY; Space 1026, Philadelphia, PA; Tate Britain, and the Contemporary Museum, Honolulu, among other venues. They have self-published many collaborative, hand-drawn books including Howard the Duck (2003), Wish U Were Here (2002), Paper Rad#12 (2001), and Pony Tail of Tears (2001). They have also produced several records including 3ROTFLOL: rolling on the floor laughing out loud (Autumn Records, 2003) and The Danger is On/Role the Dice (Papasiageek Records, 2002).
Paper Rad members live in Easthampton, MA and Pittsburgh, PA.