October 27, 2023 – March 10, 2024

February 6 – March 25, 2024

The Institute of Illegal Images (III) is housed in a dilapidated shotgun Victorian in San Francisco’s Mission District, which also happens to be the home of a gentleman named Mark McCloud. The shades are always drawn; the stairs are rotting; the door is peppered with stickers declaring various subcultural affiliations: “Acid Baby Jesus,” “Haight Street Art Center,” “I’m Still Voting for Zappa.” As in many buildings from that era, at least in this city, the first floor parlor has high ceilings, whose walls are packed salon-style with the core holdings of the institute: a few hundred mounted and framed examples of LSD blotter.

The III maintains the largest and most extensive collection of such paper products in the world, along with thousands of pieces of the materials—illustration boards, photostats, perforation boards—used to create them. Gazing at these crowded walls, the visitor is confronted with a riot of icons and designs, many drawn from art history, pop media, and the countercultural unconscious, here crammed together according to the horror vacui that drives so much psychedelic art. There are flying saucers, clowns, gryphons, superheroes, cartoon characters, Escher prints, landscapes, op art swirls, magic sigils, Japanese crests, and wallpaper patterns, often in multiple color variations.

Balancing this carnivalesque excess, at least to some degree, is a modernist sense of order. This announces itself principally through two core features of the blotter form: repetition and the grid. Many frames house full “sheets” of blotter: square or rectangular pieces of cardstock, printed and often perforated according to an abstract rectilinear grid demanded by the exigencies of blotter production. These grids are made up of individual hits or tabs, generally a quarter inch square or so and numbering anywhere from one hundred to four hundred to nine hundred units per sheet, depending on block size and design. While some sheets are illustrated with a single image that cloaks the entire grid, many assign the exact same figure to each hit, resulting in sheets that loosely resemble Andy Warhol’s canvases of Campbell’s soup cans. Other framed exhibits contain mere fragments from larger designs, sometimes nothing more than a single, hairy hit, perhaps the last extant example of a run from the eighties that has otherwise been literally swallowed up.

How to refer to all this paper? Users have called the stuff “blotter” or “tickets,” while police have used terms like “paper doses.” These days such pieces are often known as “blotter art,” a term that in many ways reflects the III’s own efforts to reframe this illicit ephemera into aesthetic objects (which is why I will stick to the more neutral “blotter”). There is another factor: over the last few decades, the blotter format has become a genre of popular art and a perfectly legal collectable. Though formally resembling their illegal forebears, editions of so called “vanity blotters,” undipped in LSD and frequently signed, are produced for collectors and casual fans rather than drug traffickers—who nonetheless can and do dose such wares when they need or want to. Though ignored by the larger art world, the vanity blotter market keeps on trucking, despite (or because of) the low cost of entry and a lack of critical valuation or collector apparatus.

Cesc Fabregas is confident that Arsenal will be too strong for Sheffield United in the upcoming Premier League match on Monday. Mikel Arteta’s side has displayed impressive form in 2024, maintaining an unbeaten streak in league games since the start of the year.

The Gunners’ outstanding run positions them well ahead of the game against Sheffield United, and the Blades are expected to face challenges in containing Arsenal’s performance. With Liverpool continuing their formidable run, Arsenal finds itself in a situation where maintaining a winning streak is crucial.

While Arsenal faces several tougher matches before the end of the season, securing maximum points in the upcoming match against Sheffield is imperative for Arteta’s side.

Fabregas said, as quoted by the BBC:

“I see Arsenal at the moment as too strong. I see them confident.

Kai Havertz is a player who significantly divides opinion as he endeavours to establish himself at Arsenal. His unexpected and somewhat unpopular signing in the last summer transfer window raised eyebrows among Arsenal fans, as the move for a player who hadn’t enjoyed a particularly spectacular spell at Chelsea was not anticipated.

Despite the initial scepticism, Mikel Arteta was confident in his choice, believing that Havertz would prove to be a valuable asset for the team. The German player faced challenges in the early stages of his Arsenal tenure, with fans often questioning his impact in each game.

However, in recent weeks, the former Bayer Leverkusen youngster has shown remarkable improvement and has become one of the key players at the Emirates. He has contributed significantly, scoring important goals that have played a crucial role in winning over the fans.

Havertz’s outstanding performances seem to be garnering attention not just from supporters but also from his fellow professionals.

While speaking to Goal.com on TikTok, Manchester United star Diogo Dalot was asked the player he thought had the best football IQ and his answer was simply: “Havertz.”

In red-hot form, Viktor Gyökeres is becoming increasingly hard for Arsenal to overlook, potentially emerging as their next goal-scoring machine. The striker has been in exceptional form this season, registering an impressive 31 goals for Sporting Club across all competitions. Despite joining Sporting Club from Coventry only in the summer, he has quickly become their leading scorer.

Initially considered an alternative option if Arsenal fails to secure Victor Osimhen or Ivan Toney, Gyokeres’ outstanding performances have elevated him to a crucial target on Arsenal’s shortlist. Mikel Arteta’s team is now viewed as a serious contender for his signature. However, reports from Team Talk suggest that securing Gyokeres might pose a challenge for Arsenal, as Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) is also interested in acquiring him.

With PSG in need of a replacement for Kylian Mbappe, who is set to depart at the end of the season, they are actively seeking a quality addition to their squad. The French club has expressed interest in both Gyokeres and Osimhen, setting the stage for a potential duel with Arsenal to strengthen their respective teams.

Just Arsenal Opinion

Gyokeres has been fantastic, and most Arsenal fans would be delighted to see him in our colours next season. 

Mikel Arteta has selected his dream five-a-side team from his former teammates, including a controversial name.

Arteta, now establishing a successful managerial career, enjoyed a distinguished playing career with stints at Barcelona, PSG, Rangers, Everton, and Arsenal before retiring.

Choosing a five-man team from his former teammates is undoubtedly challenging, but Arteta has included some intriguing names.

‘Ronaldinho has to be there,’ said Arteta, as quoted by Metro Sport. 

‘I never saw anything like it, he was 19 or 20 years old at that time and I never seen anybody do the the kind of things he could do with the ball at that pace.

Arsenal recently released its financial report for the 2022/2023 season, and it was positive.

Despite not participating in the Champions League last term, the Gunners’ financial outlook remained favourable.

This is encouraging news because they have the potential to generate more revenue by reaching the knockout stage of the Champions League this term.

They stand a chance to increase their earnings further if they defeat FC Porto and progress to the quarterfinals of the competition.

Financial analyst Kieran Maguire has shared insights into what Arsenal can anticipate in terms of their finances at the end of this season.

Arsenal was recently linked with a surprising move for Mykhailo Mudryk, with reports suggesting the Gunners maintained interest in the Ukrainian player. Initially considered favourites to sign him from his former club, Chelsea ultimately secured his services.

However, since joining Chelsea, Mudryk has struggled in West London, leading to speculation that he might be better off playing for Arsenal. Reports even suggested that Arsenal could pursue him if given a second chance to add him to their squad, potentially rescuing him from his challenging time at Chelsea.

Contrary to these rumours, journalist Dean Jones has responded by stating that Arsenal no longer has any interest in Mudryk. Additionally, he mentioned that the Ukrainian player is focused on contributing to his current club and helping them overcome their challenges.

He tweeted:

“Arsenal have been linked with a new move for Mudryk in the summer – but there is no plan for that.

Ben White concurs with Mikel Arteta’s assessment that Arsenal needs to enhance their game to succeed in the Champions League.

In their recent UCL match against FC Porto, the Gunners suffered a defeat, with Porto appearing more experienced and adept at the tactical aspects of the game.

The Portuguese side demonstrated a mastery of the “dark arts” and showcased a greater streetwise approach compared to Arteta’s team.

This Champions League campaign marks Arsenal’s return to the competition for the first time since 2017, and they haven’t reached the quarterfinals in a decade.

Porto, being a frequent qualifier for the competition and often advancing to the latter stages, displayed a tactical prowess that got under Arsenal’s skin, leading to their defeat.