When I was in junior high and even high school, everyone carried Pee-Chee folders and, for many of us, the fact that they actually held papers was secondary to them being the ultimate canvas for adolescent self-expression. If you wanted to know what someone’s favorite band was, chances are the name or logo would be emblazoned somewhere on their Pee-Chee. You could glean someone’s taste in movies, TV shows, books, who they did or didn’t like (or “Like-like”), even their sense of humor by how they modified, manipulated, or sometimes mutilated the now iconic drawings of young people playing sports. For some, there was also the cheeky “improvement” to the badge on the front cover.
Southern California-based artist Patrick Martinez has taken the style of the classic Mead folders as inspiration for a body of work that calls out police violence, racial injustice, and a host of other political and social issues. You can see some samples of his work and a listen a terrific interview from 2018 on KPCC in which Patrick explains the origins of the project.