The past few years have definitely seen an increase in studios and designers working with the community in mind. At the heart of this change is his graphic design and lithography studio, Secret Riso Club. Filled with sparkling and eye-catching work, this studio always has the betterment of its community in mind when creating posters, album artwork, and other projects. Based in Bushwick, Brooklyn and run by founders Gonzalo Guerrero and Tara Ridgedell, its work incorporates social justice, art, design, and community building. With the ultimate desire to embrace both non-traditional art backgrounds, the two founders create the work they want to see in the world, and in the process create an accessible platform for others to participate in. We provide space. “We truly believe that we cannot or will not function as individuals, so we value this time spent in community and bring it into our work,” they tell us. say.
Gonzalo was born in Santiago and describes his area as “a place where there is no art or design.” With little exposure to the ideals and professions that make up the industry, his love for the act of making things was born in an arts and crafts class at school. He then studied Industrial Design at university, immersing himself in traditional modules such as Graphics, Interior Design and Design Thinking. “I was still drawn to less traditional courses like photography and theory, and I think that’s where my love for anthropology and social issues started,” he says.
In addition to running the entire Bushwick-based studio, Tara also heads up our in-house screen printing studio. Her work includes planning and delivering workshops as well as wider community events, all of which she attributes to her background as a teacher. “As teachers, we had to do it all: manage emotions, create curriculum, do administrative work, give presentations, and most of all, stay calm under pressure.” she says. Lately, Tara has come full circle, collaborating with local schools to run poster-making workshops and classes on her zine. “All we want is to provide them with another success story and a practice that they can implement according to their own ethics and create something meaningful.”
