July 1979. Margaret Thatcher is the Prime Minister of Great Britain. Iran has entered its fourth month as an Islamic Republic, and the Sandinista National Liberation Front have deposed the U.S. backed Samoza dictatorship in Nicaragua. It was against this political backdrop that Lucy Lippard’s exhibition, Some British Art From the Left (June 16–July 14, 1979) finished its run at Artists Space in New York City.

The announcement card promoting the exhibition had an open call printed on its reverse:

"This exhibition is the first in a series of socially concerned art intended to expand international communication and to form an archive of political art. Anyone interested in participating in future manifestations should contact Lucy R. Lippard, 138 Prince St. NYC 10013."

Lippard didn’t know it yet, but her plan to build and preserve an archive of political art would develop into a collective of politically conscious artists and writers. Eight months later, PAD/D (Political Art Documentation and Distribution) was born. An explicitly leftist organization, PAD/D rejected the pursuit of gallery representation and sought new economic strategies for artists. The group adopted an holistic approach towards art activism. They attended demonstrations; organized meetings, talks, and performances; and commissioned artists and exhibitions. They insisted that all art is political on the basis that it reflects the cultural perspective of its creator, regardless of whether a work is explicitly political or not.

PAD/D’s archive, a rich treasure trove of documents, prints, and ephemera from political groups and organizations around the world, resides at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) library in Queens. Despite the institutional preservation of its vast archive, the group’s history and achievements remain virtually unknown in the art world. Its status is particularly perplexing given that Lippard’s career has been so well documented and discussed. Lippard, a pioneering activist, curator, and chronicler of Conceptual and Feminist work is a key figure in twentieth century art. ...