A Sampling Selected and Edited by Max Schumann
Aside from being some form of a magazine, probably the only characteristics that all the publications below share is that they are “independent” productions – that is, relatively small edition runs with no major commercial affiliations or prospects, and that they aspire towards forms and processes of innovation in the arts. While there are overlapping topics, strategies, and communities represented within this listing, it is otherwise a highly diverse grouping of publications.
So, what are “artists’ magazines”?
In “Alternative Art Publishing : Artists’ Magazines (1960 – 1980)” Stephen Perkins identifies several innovative features that separates them from the conventional fare:
In the words of Howardena Pindell, the artist produced magazine came to function as an "alternative space." This concept undermined and collapsed two inherited structures endemic to previous assumptions about magazines: 1) artists now began to write about the art world from within the movements, carving out a partisan position that circumvented the established critical apparatus, and it was hoped, would undermine the hegemony of the art world power structure; 2) where previously art work, texts and documentation were 'illustrated' in magazines, in this new 'space' the magazine became the primary site for the works themselves. The magazine becomes an exhibition space, a critical space, a documentary space and an archival space…With ideas of the traditional gallery in serious question and many artists, nationally and internationally, working outside of these structures, the artists' magazine offered an important and efficient link in disseminating new work amongst this emerging international community. For artists whose work did not require a physical site for its realization, artists' magazines functioned as simultaneous bridges between artists in varied geographic locations and as a sites through which 'transnational' collaborations could take place. Running parallel to this expanded concept of what a magazine could be, was a redefinition of what could take place in the space of the page itself. The page subsequently became a site dominated by the visual image, absorbing the text within itself, and this new fusion permeates artists' self publishing to this day…
Because the form, function, and history of artists magazines has been so closely intertwined with the artists’ book, they have always been an important part of Printed Matter’s inventory. But they also have their own distinct history and role. The following offers a sampling of the many different possibilities of what Artists’ Magazines can be.
ART/LIFE
Begun in 1981 in Ventura, California by Joe Cardella, Art/Life was one of the most prolific independent artists periodical projects, publishing 11 issues a year until 1999 for a total of over 200 issues. Compiled “assembling style” (in which the artists would supply the full edition of their page piece to the editor, who would then collate and bind them into the issue), Art/Life was produced mostly in numbered editions of 150, with many signed and original artworks by the different contributors often employing collage, rubberstamp and other hand manipulated techniques. The offering below represents a prime sampling of this beautiful and unique artists’ production.
The issues are 28 x 21.5cm, paperback, with a clear acetate photocopied outer cover, plastic post binding (except one issue is unbound, tied with a ribbon), and various printing methods.
Art/Life. [set of nine issues from May 1985 - May 1986]. Santa Barbara, CA: J. Cardella, 1985-1986.
ART-RITE
Founded in 1973 by Joshua Cohn, Edit DeAk and Walter Robinson, Art-Rite ran for 19 issues through 1978 and charted the downtown New York art scene as a second generation of multi-media experimental artists emerged from the first generation of conceptualists. An art forerunner of the punk ‘zine, Art-Rite was printed on newsprint and had a decidedly insider point of view. The magazine alternated between thematic issues – many with an artist produced cover – and issues done as a single artist’s, or collective’s project. These back issues provide a time-capsule glimpse into the innovation and radical spirit of contemporary art in New York preceding the onslaught of the 1980’s art market boom.
The issues are 28 x 21 cm, paperback, staple bound, offset printed.
Art-Rite. NEAR COMPLETE SET [Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11/12, 13, 14, 15, 18, 19, 20]. This near complete set lacks issues no 17 and 21. No. 16 was never published. Fine/Good condition; all issues have general age stains.
Art-Rite. No. 4, Season’s Greetings [Cover by Yuri]. New York, NY: Art-Rite Publishing, 1973.
Art-Rite. No. 7, Video Issue [Cover by Vito Acconci]. New York, NY: Art-Rite Publishing, 1974.
Art-Rite. No. 10, Performance Issue [Cover by Joseph Beuys]. New York, NY: Art-Rite Publishing, 1975.
Art-Rite. No. 15, Surroundings [Cover by Rosemary Mayer]. New York, NY: Art-Rite Publishing. 1977. [20]p., 28 x 21 cm, staple bound, offset.
Art-Rite. No. 18, Image Bank [Guest edited by Michael Morris and Vincent Trasov of Image Bank]. New York, NY: Art-Rite Publishing, 1978.
Art-Rite. No. 20, Pearl Girl: An Operetta. New York, NY: Art-Rite Publishing, 1978.
ASSEMBLING
Assembling, which ran for 13 plus issues from 1970 to 1985, ranges in content from experimental fiction to concrete poetry and visual writing, collage and other visual works employing a variety of printing and reproductive methods– including offset, photocopy, mimeograph, rubberstamp, carbon copies and even hand rendered copying). A self described “collaborative magazine of the unpublished and unpublishable, of works too eccentric to be accepted elsewhere”, Assembling was edited by Richard Kostelanetz, Henry Korn and Mike Metz, and was one of the seminal projects of a genre of magazines that came to be known by the same name. In an open submission policy, contributors were invited to submit 1000 copies of up to four 8 1/2" x 11" pages of anything they wanted to include–printed at their own expense. Submissions were collated alphabetically with biographical notes identifying most of the contributors. As Stephen Perkins writes of the radical potential of this strategy of production: “In important ways these magazines invert the traditional publishing model: editorial prerogative is abolished, the contributors now become the editors, and the ‘editors’ assume the role of coordinators...More importantly, assembling magazines threw open the doors for anyone to step onto the omnibus of experimental publishing”.
The issues are 21.5 x 29 cm, paperback, staple, post, or glue bound, and use various printing methods.
Assembling : A Collection of Otherwise Unpublishable Manuscripts. No. 1. This rare first issue includes an original chocolate stain by Edward Ruscha. Brooklyn, NY: Gnilbmessa Inc. 1970.
Second Assembling : A Collection of Otherwise Unpublishible Manuscripts. Brooklyn, NY: Assembling Press. 1971.
Third Assembling : A Collection of Otherwise Unpublishable Manuscripts. Brooklyn, NY: Assembling Press. 1972
Fifth Assembling : A Collection of Otherwise Unpublishable Manuscripts. Brooklyn, NY: Assembling Press, 1974.
Sixth Assembling : A Collection of Otherwise Unpublishable Manuscripts Brooklyn, NY: Assembling Press, 1975.
Seventh Assembling : A Collection of Otherwise Unpublishable Manuscripts. Brooklyn, NY: Assembling Press, 1977.
Eighth Assembling : A Collection of Otherwise Unpublishable Manuscripts (A - J). Brooklyn, NY: Assembling Press, 1978.
Eighth Assembling : A Collection of Otherwise Unpublishable Manuscripts (K - Z). Brooklyn, NY: Assembling Press, 1978.
Tenth Assembling : A Collection of Otherwise Unpublishable Manuscripts. Brooklyn, NY: Assembling Press, 1980 .
Eleventh Assembling : Pilot Proposals. Brooklyn, NY: Assembling Press, 1981.
DU DA
Founded by artist and educator Sally Alatalo in Chicago, Du Da (variously also titled Chicago Dada, DoDa, doo da, and do dah) was a (loosely) tri-quarterly publication which ran from 1984 to 1991. Issues often included collaborative projects with (often pseudonymous) artists, and throughout its history Du Da experimented with different formats, each issue becoming a discrete artists’ publication while also relating to the series as a whole. Alatalo oversaw the offset printing herself, performing a variety of hand manipulations in the printing process which gives many of the issues a screen-print quality.
Alatalo writes of the project: “As a young artist I gravitated toward art that connected to everyday life and that offered an alternative to what seemed an impenetrable and impossibly intimidating art world. Bits and pieces of art history such as the Dada publications, as well as artists including Eleanor Antin, Alison Knowles, Suzanne Lacy, Linda Montano, Ed Ruscha, and small publishers like Coracle, Something Else Press and Weproductions, influenced my early projects. Their printed publications provided what seemed a perfect model with which to coalesce my simultaneous interests in text, image, print technology and form, and came with a built-in distribution network that allowed me to circumvent a conventional gallery context...Duda magazine provided a place to play”.
The separate issues come in a variety of sizes, binding and casing types and are offset printed.
Du Da. COMPLETE SET [Vol. 1, No. 1 through Vol. 6, No. 2].This set includes the full run of 21 issues of Du Da. Chicago, IL: Sally Alatalo. 1984 – 91.
Du Da. Vol. 4, No. 1. Chicago, IL: Sara Ranchouse Publishing, 1988. [16]p., 27.54 x 17 cm, clear acetate cover, staple bound.
Du Da. Vol. 5, No.2. Chicago, IL: Sara Ranchouse Publishing. 1989. [18]p., 10 x 15 cm. pbk, spiral bound.
Du Da. Vol. 5, No. 3. Chicago, IL: Sara Ranchouse Publishing, 1990. [10]p., 26 x 14.5 cm, pbk, spiral bound.
4 TAXIS
4 Taxis is an artists’ magazine founded in 1978 by Michel Aphesbero and Danielle Colomine. Originally sub-titled, “the magazine of the international boondocks”, 4 Taxis evolved into an unclassifiable lifestyle/art practice which generated a range of cultural and artistic activities: the magazine, site-specific installations, and art teaching. As a nomadic and temporal project, often produced in conjunction with art or art teaching residencies, 4 Taxis has also become a method for the investigation of cities- Berlin, Madrid, Los Angeles, Barcelona, Sao Paolo, and Seville- lasting from six months to a year, and leading to the conception and implementation of art projects. Thus, 4 Taxis involves an urban archeology, an investigation of the signs and culture of the cities as well as a playful and ironic look at the mythologies of daily urban life.
The issues listed are 29.5 x 21 cm (unless otherwise noted), paperback, staple bound and offset printed.
4 Taxis. No. 2/3, Folie Noire (March 1979). This issue is packed with projects for the page; contributors include: Francis Mériguet, Christine Bourel, Alain Lestié, Jean-François Cristoflour, Jean Le Gad, Pedro Bustos Domeq, Ortega and Gachet, Danielle Colomine, C.d.R., Jean Callens and Michel Rubio, Sergi Capellas, Claudia Salaris, Pablo Echaurren, Luigi Ontani, Martine Aballea, John Howell and Tony Mascatello, Steve Payne, and Mac Adams. 29.5 x 19 cm; Bordeaux : 4 Taxis, 1979.
4 Taxis. [collaborative issue with Journal : A Contemporary Art Magazine. No. 38, Vol 4]. This special 4 Taxis collaboration with The Journal : A Contemporary Arts Magazine, features cover art by Christian Boltanski and an international survey of new work. The 4 Taxis section features an article on an amateur voyeur photographer from 1963; an excerpt of Sophie Calle's chambermaid investigations as part of her work "Room 25"; and an interview with Jean-Louis Froment, founder of the CAPC Museum of Contemporary Art in Bordeaux. The issue also contains page projects by Christian Boltanski, Anne and Patrick Poirier, Anette Messager and Alexandre Delay. 28 x 21.5 cm; Los Angeles and Bordeaux : Los Angeles Institute of Contemporary Art and 4 Taxis, 1983.
4 Taxis. No. 9/10, Los Angeles (Spring '84). Features in this issue include: "Urban Coyote" by Lewis McAdams; "Earthquake Bedroom" by Paul Fortune Fearon; "9's photographs" by Tim Street-Porter; "Bigas Luna, un catalan á Hollywood" by José Maria Marti; "Ma Banque" by Phillippe Garnier; "Way Down South in Dixie" by Bruce Joyner; and interviews with, works by, and profiles of Ed Ruscha, Gary Panter, Steve Samiof, and Chris Burden.
4 Taxis. No. 12/13, Madrid (Winter, Spring '87). Produced during a residency in Madrid, this tri-lingual issue (in Spanish, French, and English), includes tributes to Castillan writer, Ramon Gomez de la Serna; the Spanish rock press of the 1960’s; and celebrity bullfighters. Also included are a number of artists’ profiles and projects for the page. Bordeaux : 4 Taxis, 1987,
THE FOX
This short run but highly influential magazine was edited by Ian Burn, Sarah Charlesworth, Michael Corris, Joseph Kosuth, Andrew Menard, Mel Ramsden, and Preston Heller, and published by Art & Language. The Fox put out only three issues in 1975-76. Issue 2 opens with a call to participants, which also acts as a mission statement: "If you are interested in trying to reclaim art as an instrument of social and cultural transformation, in exposing the domination of the culture/administrative apparatus as well as art which indolently reflects that apparatus, you are urged to participate in this journal. Its editorial thrust is ideological: it aims at a contribution to the wider movement of social criticism/transformation." Very limited quantities available.
The issues are approximately 27 x 21.5 cm, paperback, glue bound, and offset printed.
The Fox. Vol. 1, No. 1. In addition to contributions from editors, this issue includes articles by Michael Baldwin and Philip Pilkington, Zoran Popovic and Jasna Tijardocic, Ian Burn, Adrian Piper, David Rushton and Paul Wood, Lynn Lemastrer, and Terry Atkinson. Fine condition. New York : Art & Language Foundation, Inc., 1975.
The Fox 2. Contributers to this issue include Eunice Lipton, Mel Ramsden, Terry Smith, Lizzie Borden, Sarah Charlesworth, Mark Klienberg, Adrian Piper, Andrew Menard, Ron White, Michael Corris, Ian Burn, David Rushton, Joseph Kosuth, Terry Atkinson, Karl Beveridge and Ian Burn, Michael Corris, and Trevor Pateman. Fine condition. New York : Art & Language Foundation, Inc., 1975.
The Fox 3. This issue is packed with essays, reviews, letters, and art works revolving around the themes of the social and political identity of the artist, class analysis of art production and the art object, and cultural imperialism. With contributions by Art & Language, Kathryn Bigelow, Sarah Charlesworth, Joseph Kosuth, Mel Ramsden, Martha Rosler, Mayo Thompson, and many others. Fine condition. New York : Art & Language Foundation, Inc.
GAGARIN
Gagarin is an ongoing Belgian journal that collects original texts by contemporary artists working all over the world. Each text corresponds to the artist's work, by way of analysis, invention, or biography and thus range from the scholarly, to the documentary, to the experimental. Texts are presented in their original languages with English translations where needed. In an effort to divest the publication of filters, Gagarin does not use illustrative photography or advertising; it does, however, include original drawings, written notations, and individualized templates.
Gagarin is published biannually by GagaVZW for the Municipal Academy of Fine Arts of Waasmunster as a contribution from the Archive for Small Press and Communication (ASPC). Gagarin shares its name with the Soviet astronaut Yuri Gagarin, the first person in space and the first person to orbit the Earth.
The issues are 22 x 16 cm, paperback, glue bound and offset printed.
Gagarin. Vol. 1-6 [Boxed set of first 11 issues]. Includes writings by Vito Acconci, Guillanme Bijl, Frédéric Bruly Bouabré, Ernst Caramelle, Sophie Calle, Stan Douglas, Marlene Dumas, Jimmie Durham, Ken Lum, Anette Messager, Juan Muñoz, Tomas Schmit, David Shrigely, Fiona Tan, Lawrence Weiner and many, many others. Antwerp : Gagarin, 2000 – 20005.
Gagarin. Vol. 2, No. 1 (No. 3). With contributions by Guiseppe Penone, Bhupen Khakhar, Stan Douglas, Tsuyoshi Ozawa, Anri Sala, Michel Francois, Willem Oorebeek, and Simon Patterson. Antwerp : Gagarin, 2001.
Gagarin. Vol. 9, No. 1 (No. 17). With contributions by Aleksandra Mir, Peter Friedl, Saâdane Afif, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Lee Bul, Danh Vo, Philip Metten, and Adam Chodzko. Antwerp: Gagarin, 2008.
Gagarin. Vol. 9, No. 2 (No. 18). With contributions by Philippe Parreno, Annabel Daou, Ghada Amer, Runa Islam, Edith Dekyndt, Kati Heck, Michael Curran, and Harmony Korine. Antwerp : Gagarin, 2008.
Gagarin. Vol. 10, No. 1 (No. 19). With contributions by Ed Ruscha, Ingrid Mwangi, Robert Hutter, Petrit Halilaj, Paul Chan, Ermias Kifleyesus, Pierre Bismuth, Danny Devos, and David Maroto. Rotterdam : Gagarin, 2009
HERESIES : A FEMINIST PUBLICATION ON ART AND POLITICS
Begun in 1977 in New York, Heresies was structured as a working community, with each thematic issue produced by a changing editorial collective. Each issue features a wide variety of artists’ works, essays, prose and poetry.
”As a step toward a demystification of art, we reject the standard relationship of advertiser to product. We will not advertise a new set of genius-products just because they are made by women. We are not committed to any particular style or esthetic, nor to the competitive mentality that pervades the art world. Our view of feminism is one of process and change, and we feel that in the process of this dialogue we can foster a change in the meaning of art.” – The Heresies Editorial Collective, 1977.
The issues are approximately 22 x16 cm, paperback, mostly glue bound and offset printed.
Heresies : A Feminist Publication on Art and Politics. COMPLETE SET [No.’s 1 - 27].
Heresies : A Feminist Publication on Art and Politics #1. Vol. 1, No. 1. New York : Heresies Collective, 1977. Includes “Toward Socialist Feminism” by Barbara Ehrenreich; “Tijuana Maid” by Martha Rosler; “Women and Honor: Some Notes on Lying” by Adrienne Rich; “Now Women Repossess Their Own Sexuality” by Louise Bourgeois, Marisol, Ann Leda Shapiro, Dottie Attie, Anita Steckel, Joan Semmel; “Bomb Shitting” and “Torture in Chile” by Nancy Spero; “The Pink Glass Swan: Upward and Downward Mobility in the Art World” by Lucy Lippard. New York : Heresies Collective, 1977.
Heresies : A Feminist Publication on Art and Politics #8. Vol. 2, No. 4, Third World Women: the politics of being other. New York : Heresies Collective, 1979. Contributions in this issue include: “Some Reflections on Black Women in Film” Rosemari Mealy; Concentration Camps in the U.S.A.” by Motoko Ikeda-Spiegel; “Silueta Series” by Ana Mendieta; “Remember: Letter to a Young Indian Poet” by Joy Harjo; “Political Self-Portrait #2” by Adrian Piper; “Need” by Audre Lorde, “Criticism/or/Between the Lines” by Howardena Pindell. New York : Heresies Collective, 1979.
Heresies : A Feminist Publication on Art and Politics #13. Vol. 4, No. 1, Feminism and Ecology. Contributions in this issues include : “Photograph” by Lorna Simpson; “La Venus Negra” by Ana Mendieta; “Home Economics” by Lucy R. Lippard, with visuals by Anonymous, Sally Heller and Judy Kanin, Claudia Hollander, Mary Linn Hughes and Barbara Margolies, Joanne Leonard, Melanie Sherwood, Caroline Summerwood; “The Rat Patrol” by Christy Rupp; “Up from the Earth” by Mary Beth Edelson. New York : Heresies Collective, 1981
Heresies : A Feminist Publication on Art and Politics #15. Vol. 4, No. 3, Racism is the Issue. Contributions in this issue include: “Adaide Foppa de Solorazano Disappeared in Guatemala City on Dec. 9, 1980” by Nancy Spero; “Untitled” by Lorna Simpson; “Silueta Series” by Ana Mendieta; “If the Present Looks Like the Past, What Does the Future Look Like?” by Alice Walker. New York : Heresies Collective, 1982.
Heresies : A Feminist Publication on Art and Politics #16. Vol. 4, No.4, Film/Video/Media. Contributions in this issue include : “Born in Flames” by Lizzie Borden; “Graphic” by Erica Rothenberg; “Ladies Home Channels” by DeeDee Halleck; “Gently Down the Stream” by Su Friedrich; “Reinventing Our Image: Eleven Black Women Filmmakers” by Loretta Campbell; “The Case of the Missing Mother: Maternal Issues in Vidor’s Stella Dallas” by E. Ann Kaplan; “Native Vision” by Cecilia Vicuña with Sanda Osawa and Peggy Barnet. New York : Heresies Collective, 1983.
HIGH PERFORMANCE
High Performance was a quarterly arts magazine founded in 1978 and published until 1997. Initially focusing on performance art and experimental theater, the magazine broadened its editorial mission to include “new innovative and unrecognized works in the arts,” especially work that was socially and politically engaged. Based in Los Angeles, the magazine provided a regional forum for experimentation in performance related work, but had an international scope as well. As such, the individual issues offer a lively and fascinating overview of alternative, performance related art practices over two decades.
The issues are 28 x 21.5 cm, paperback, glue or staple bound, and offset printed.
High Performance #25. Vol. 7, No. 1. This issue includes articles on Artists Call Against Intervention in Central America, the performance art of Kim Jones, Marti Gras as performance, a critique of Cal Arts titled “California Institute for the Arts and the Re-materialization of the Art Object”, and a survey on performance art from England and Ireland. Los Angeles : Astro Artz, 1984.
High Performance #31. Vol. 8, No. 3. This special expanded issue also served as the festival catalogue for New Music America ‘85, held in Los Angeles. Featured articles include, “ Chaos and Order : a Skeletal History of New Music”; “High Brow Low Brow / New Music in LA: Potentials and Conflict 1920 – 50”; and “sounded, sounding, to SOUND and the Seduction of the Visual Artist”. Los Angeles : Astro Artz, 1985.
High Performance #34. Vol. 9, No. 2. This issue features a cover story on Lily Tomlin and Jane Wagner’s involvement in the west coast women’s performance art community; “Terrorism & Performance : All the World’s a Stage” by Arthur J Sabatini; “Commerce on the Edge: the convergence of art & entertainment: by Jacki Apple"; a lengthy article on Marina Abromovic and Uly, which includes a performance chronology; and a panel discussion transcript with Eric Bogosian, Spalding Gray, and Bill Irwin. Los Angeles : Astro Artz, 1986.
High Performance #43. Vol. 11, No. 3. This issue’s cover feature is on the performance group “Los Angeles Poverty Department (LAPD)”; with additional features on art and shamanism, artists’ billboard projects, Allan Kaprow, and Chris Burden. Los Angeles, CA : Astro Artz, 1988.
High Performance #47. Vol 12, No. 3. This issue includes the essay, the Multicultural Paradigm by Guillermo Gomez-Pena, and other articles, reviews and interviews on multiculturalism in performance art, and the issue of censorship in the arts. Los Angeles, CA : Astro Artz, 1989.
IGTIMES [International Graffiti Times, International Get Hip Times]
Beginning in 1984, David Schmidlapp produced this first ever magazine devoted to graffiti art and culture, as the graffiti craze was peaking both in the New York City subway system and with its entry into the East Village gallery scene. At first Schmidlapp approached the project as an outsider, but as the only published outlet for the graffiti artists it soon became a full-blown collaboration with members of the grafitti community. Not only a rich chronicle of the subway writing of the 1980’s, this magazine also provided a forum for the voices of the community of writers. The contents reflect how politicized the grafitti movement was – the artists are immersed in urban politics, from education to police violence, and there is a national and international scope as well. Ironically, as contemporary art galleries dropped graffiti artists to move on to the next passing trend, the hip hop culture – with graffiti as its signature aesthetic – exploded into one of the most far reaching popular cultural movements in history.
IGTimes Complete Set [Issues 1 – 15]. Compiled in a numbered edition of 100, and signed by editor David Schmidlapp, this complete set is housed in a graffiti stenciled portfolio. The first 10 issues came as a single 43.5 x 69 cm two-sided broadsheet that were initially folded down to a small pamphlet, and later folded in half. Issues 11 through 15 are in the same tabloid format but have multiple sheets (3 to 5). The earlier issues alternate between black and white and 2-color printing, the final five issues are printed on glossy stock and include full color centerfolds and/or covers.
IRREGULOMADAIRE
An ongoing periodical, Irregulomadaire was founded by designers/artists Jean-Charles Depaule, Jerome Saint-Loubert Bie and Susanna Shannon in Paris in 1990 as an experimental publishing project. As the name suggests, Irregulomadaire does not come out on a fixed time schedule. Each issue has a different theme and employs a different editorial process or strategy, as well as a different format, even different paper stocks (sometimes within the same issue).
An emphasis on process as a means of shaping content is a common thread in all the issues. For instance, Issue 2 “Les rues des Caire (The Streets of Cairo), was printed in Cairo in order to see how the place of production can affect not only the look of the product, but also what it says and means. Issue 3 took the topic of tools as its primary focus; the artists, writers and designers, submitted work which responded to a specific basement shop in Paris, from which the editors made an extended montage on building materials and processes. In other issues, the artists switched jobs and tasks away from their areas of expertise in order to bring a fresh perspective to the mechanics of the production, and thus the content of the magazine.
The result of this is a kind of utilitarian aesthetic: multiple layers and sequences of text and images, transform the banal and everyday into a dynamic and engaged visual surface.
The issues are a variety of sizes, paperback (except No. 5 is hardback), glue or stitched binding, and offset printed.
Irregulomadaire. COMPLETE SET [No.’s 1 – 5]
Irregulomadaire. No. 1, Keskisplage. Paris : Irregulomadaire, 1990.
Irregulomadaire. No. 3. Paris : Irregulomadaire, 1993.
Irregulomadaire. No. 4, Baggages. Paris : Irregulomadaire, 1997
Irregulomadaire. No. 5, Comment on fait pour faire les choses. Paris : Irregulomadaire, 2000.
M/E/A/N/I/N/G
M/E/A/N/I/N/G was an artist-run periodical published in New York from 1986 to 1996. Its founders, Mira Shor and Susan Bee, established the journal as a forum to discuss issues in contemporary art for artists and writers who may have felt left out by the hype of the 1980's art market boom.
With its emphasis on artists’ perspectives of aesthetic and social issues, M/E/A/N/I/N/G delved into the fray of some of the most hotly contested art issues for the past few decades: the visibility of women artists, sexuality and the arts, censorship, art world racism, the legacies of modernism, artists as mothers, visual art in the digital age, and the rewards and tolls of a lifelong career in the arts.
Art critic Elizabeth Hess writes, “M/E/A/N/I/N/G reflects a time when artists were, in a sense the critical theorists of the moment. Mira Schor and Susan Bee inspired many of them to write about the subjects that were closest to their hearts, minds, and art”.
The issues are 28 x 21.5 cm, paperback, staple bound and offset printed.
M/E/A/N/I/N/G. COMPLETE SET [Issues 1 – 19/20].
M/E/A/N/I/N/G. No. 3. Includes "the Art School can be a Research School or the Hotbed of Consumer Orthodoxy” by Lucio Pozzi; “Some Remarks on Racism in the American Arts” by Daryl Chin, and a Letter to the Editor by Richard Artschwager. 38 p., 28 x 21.5cm, pbk, staple bound. New York : M/E/A/N/I/N/G, 1988.
M/E/A/N/I/N/G. No. 12. Includes “Forum on Motherhood, Art, and Apple Pie” with contributions from Susan Bee, Jane Dickson, Ellen Lanyon, Nancy Spero, Martha Wilson and many others. 62 p., 28 x 21.5cm, pbk, staple bound. New York : M/E/A/N/I/N/G, 1992.
M/E/A/N/I/N/G. No. 14. Includes “The Return of the Feminist Body” by Amelia Jones; A Conversation on Lesbian Subjectivity and Painting with Deborah Kass” by Patricia Cronin; and “Aesthetics and Postmenopausal Pleasures” by Joanna Frueh. 51 p., 28 x 21.5cm, pbk, staple bound. New York : M/E/A/N/I/N/G, 1993.
NEW OBSERVATIONS
New Observations is an innovative arts journal that has brought the artists' voice to the public forum in an extraordinarily prolific run, publishing 128 issues from 1981 – 2001. Recently acquired by Artist Organized Art, a non-profit organization, New Observations will start up again as an on-line periodical.
Written, edited, illustrated and published from the arts community, the mission of New Observations has been to present a diversity of editorial voices and topics from the many aesthetic and cultural traditions that constitute the arts. New Observations is produced in a modest staple bound, B&W format, and features a wide range of visual art, artists’ projects for the page, essays, poetry, and fiction. Each issue is guest-edited and devoted to a specific theme. Including both well established and emerging artists, New Observations’ perspective is decidedly from the inside out, rather than the usual outside-in perspective of the commercial journals.
Most issues are 28 x 22 cm, paperback, post or staple bound, and offset printed.
New Observations. No. 8. John Shaw, editor. This issue devotes several pages each to over 40 contributing writers and artists, including Barbara Kruger, Judy Rifka, Izhar Patkin, Sol Lewitt, Walter Robinson, Louise Nevelson, and Cindy Sherman. New York: New Observations, 1983.
New Observations. No. 17, Science Fiction Issue. Peter Halley, editor. This issue was made in conjunction with the exhibition "Science Fiction" at the John Weber Gallery that ran from September 17 to October 8, 1983. It features essays and artwork by contributors Peter Halley, Alan Jones, Laurie Simmons, Yura Adams, Dwight David, Ilona Granet, R.M. Fischer, Taru Suzuki, Robert Horvitz, Peter Fend, Richard Prince, Reese Williams, Robert Smithson, Jon Friedman, and Barbara Kruger, as well as stills from several movies and videos. New York : New Observations, 1983.
New Observations. No. 26, Critical Love. Lynne Tilmann, editor. This issue features several works of fiction: “Scar Tissue (Games from Other Games)” by Gary Indiana; "Haunted Houses (a novel in progress)" by Lynne Tillman; "Significant Damage (a collection of short stories)" by Margot Norton; "Die Anywhere But in a Vase" by Benjamin Weissman; “Don Quixote’s Abortion (opening pages from a novel in progress)” by Kathy Acker; "Pick-up on Eighth Street" by Kurt Hollander; “A Questionable Repast” by Cynthia Kolbowski; and excerpts from “The Reluctant Papers” by Leslie Dick. New York : New Observations, 1984.
New Observations. No. 61, Paracriticism 2: Dissent. Maurice Berger, editor. "The age of Reagan can be characterized by a myopic and heartless decline of government funding for the ever increasing ranks of desperate Americans... Rather than ignoring such social injustice (or seeing it as irrelevant), a number of artists ... have chosen to act as full participants in society rather than buy into the myth of the artist as the bohemian or the dandy who lives outside the reality of class." (from editor Maurice Berger's introductory essay "What Does Homelessness Have to do with Art?"). Contributors include Gran Fury, Edgar Heap of Birds, John Heartfield, Barbara Kruger, David Lurie, William Olander, Howardena Pindell, and Krzysztof Wodiczko. New York : New Observations, 1988.
New Observations. No. 62, Homage to Origins. Shirin Neshat, editor. This issue brings together art and artists dealing with bi-culturalism. Editor Shirin Neshat states in her introductory essay: "The life of an immigrant manifests numerous contradictions. Often the search for a new identity within the foreign culture creates a crisis of no-identity. Once the process of adaptation occurs, one experiences an incredible sense of apathy. In exchange he has become partially stripped of his most fundamental beliefs and perceptions of the world."
Contributors: Moi Baratloo, Dan Coma, Alfredo Jaar, Manijeh Khazaneh, Amerigo Marras, Yong Soon Min, Taeg Nishimoto, Kyong Park, Leslie Sharpe, Muscheer Siddiqi, Penelope Wehrli, and Krzysztof Wodiczko. New York : New Observations, 1988.
New Observations. No. 97, Color. Adrian Piper, editor. This issue is guest edited by Adrian Piper and features contributions by Senga Nengudi, Sam Gilliam, Calvin Reid, Lorraine O'Grady, Richard J. Powell, Raymond Saunders, Lowery Stokes Sims, Howardena Pindell, Ikemefuna Okoye, Houston Conwill, David C. Driskell, Mary O'Neal, Kellie Jones and David Hammons. New York : New Observations, 1993.
New Observations. No. 101, Copy Culture. Stephen Perkins and Lloyd Dunn, editors. Features in this issue: "Introduction, Copy Culture: Barbarians in the Copy Shop" by Stephen Perkins and Lloyd Dunn; "Cultural Subversion" by Frank Moore; "Cheap Memes: Zines, Metazines, and the Virtual Press" by Mark Frauenfelder; "Plagiarism: The Truth in Doubling" by Mark Palmer. Other contributors include Vittore Baroni, Peggy Cyphers, Laurence Roberts, Dissemination Network, T.S. child, Al Ackerman, Reed Altemus, Knickerbocker, Piermario Ciani, Antonio Nelos, Franz John and Jean-François Robic. New York : New Observations, 1994.
REAL LIFE
Originally edited by artist, writer and curator, Thomas Lawson and writer, Susan Morgan, Real Life featured writings, interviews and projects from a budding community of artists that would later become known as the “Pictures Generation.” Published in twenty-three issues from 1979-1994 as an intermittent black and white magazine, Real Life featured artists and art historians writing on art, media and popular culture interspersed with pictorial contributions. Through its 15 year history, the magazine traces the influences, development and transitions of artists through the 1980’s and beyond.
The issues are 28 x 21.5 cm, paperback, staple bound and offset printed.
Real Life Magazine. No. 3 (March 1980). This issue includes “Primary Transfers”, an image-text piece by Richard Prince; “The Destroyed Room of Jeff Wall” by Dan Graham; “Fashion Moda”, an interview by Thomas Lawson; “Trash Drugs and Male Bonding” by Kim Gordon; “Inserted Realities” by Dara Birnbaum; and cover art by Thomas Lawson. New York: Real Life Magazine, 1980.
Real Life Magazine. No. 4 (Summer 1980). This issue includes “Long Distance Information” by Thomas Lawson; “Sam and Dottie Dance” a visual piece by Laurie Simmons; “Devils with Red Dresses On” by Barbara Kruger; “Menthol Pictures” by Richard Prince; and a cover by Matt Mullican. New York : Real Life Magazine, 1980.
Real Life Magazine. No. 6 (Summer 1981). This issue includes, “Brigitte Bardot” an interview by Hervé Guibert; “Post-Modernism: a symposium” with Christian Huber, Sherrie Levine, Craig Owens, David Salle, and Julian Schnabel; “Bow Wow Wow” by Dan Graham; “Amos Poe” an interview with David Robbins; and “Building Conventions” by Judith Barry. New York : Real Life Magazine, 1981.
Real Life Magazine. No. 16 (Autumn 1986). This issue includes “David Hammons” interviewed by Kellie Jones; “Geography Notes: A Survey” by Greg Bordowitz; “Pluralism and the Accomodation of Style” by Robert Morgan; with artwork by David Hammons on the front and back cover. New York : Real Life Magazine, 1986.
Real Life Magazine. No. 20. This special issue consists entirely of artists’ projects for the page with 37 contributors including Komar & Melamed, Laurie Simmons, Richard Prince, Dara Birnbaum, Adrian Piper, Critical Art Ensemble, James Welling, Lawrence Weiner, Allan McCollum, Judith Barry, Felix Goonzales-Torres, Group Material, David Robbins, Jessica Diamond and Louise Lawler. New York : Real Life Magazine, 1990.
STROLL : THE MAGAZINE OF OUTDOOR ART AND STREET CULTURE
Founded, published and edited by writer and curator Melissa Feldman, Stroll was a short run periodical that was devoted to all manner of “outdoor” urban art. Stroll not only documented different public art projects of the time, but also provided a forum for an assortment of related issues, critiques, and commentaries.
Vol.1, No. 1 is 43 x 27 cm, and Vol. 2, No. 1 is 38.5 x 26.5 cm, both are staple bound; issue 4/5 and 6/7 are 27 x 20 cm and glue bound; all issues are paperback and offset printed.
Stroll : The Magazine of Outdoor Art and Street Culture. Vol. 1, No. 1. The premier issue includes Dennis Adams’ bus shelters, the sculpture of David Finn, The Ecology of Times Square, Linda Montano at the New Museum, Public Art Fund, Cinema in the Streets, and much more. The cover of this first issue is by David Wojnarowicz, and is part offset printed with a two color hand silkscreen overlay. Extremely rare. New York : Stroll magazine, 1985.
Stroll : The Quarterly Magazine of Outdoor Art and Street Culture. Vol. 2, No. 1. Contributing artists and writers include Ed Ruscha, Peter Clothier, John Yau, Mierle Laderman Ukeles, Dan Cameron, Mason Riddle, Stan Banos, and Christo. Plus a special section on transportation with photos by Henny Garfunkel, story by Joe Dolce, article by David Van Biema and more photos by Ken Schles. Cover by Ed Ruscha, made specifically for this issue. New York : Stroll Magazine, 1985. Signed on cover by Ed Ruscha
Stroll: The Quarterly Magazine of Outdoor Art and Street Culture. Double Issue 4/5. With articles on Sophie Calle, Doug Hollis, Robbie Conal and the Guerrilla Girls among many others. Cover by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje Van Bruggen. New York : Stroll Magazine, 1987.
Stroll: The Quarterly Magazine of Outdoor Art and Street Culture. Double Issue 6/7. This is a special issue devoted to the politics of architecture. New York ; Stroll Magazine, 1988.
UPFRONT
Begun as the newsletter for Political Art Documentation and Distribution (PAD), this magazine would evolve into a full-fledged review and resource for political and activist art and artists. PAD was spearheaded by Lucy Lippard, and was meant to serve as an artists’ resource and networking organization, specifically “to provide artists with an organized relationship to society”. Although we only have a few copies of some of the early issues (when it was in its newsletter format), they not only are fascinating snapshots of the aesthetic and energy of artist dissent in the age of Reagan, but also are instructive manuals for a new generation of socially conscious artists.
The issues are 28 x 22 cm, paperback, staple bound (except 1st issue is not bound), and offset printed.
1st Issue: A Publication of Political Art Documentation / Distribution. No. 1. (February, 1981). This four-page issue presents a statement of the purpose for PAD, which also serves as a kind of manifesto for political art activism by Lucy Lippard and Jerry Kearns. Also included are a short history of PAD to date, and an upcoming events calendar. New York : PAD, 1981.
Upfront : A Publication of Political Art Documentation / Distribution. No. 3 (December / January 1981/2). This issue includes a flow chart of recent artist participation in political protests and their historical precedents; a report on the “Art Politik” conference in Seattle, by Lucy Lippard; and a centerfold on urban decay by Jerry Kearns. New York : PAD, 1981.
Upfront : A Political Art Documentation / Distribution. No. 4 (February / March 1982). This issue presents short profiles on a range of political and activist art organizations from around the country, including formative groups and spaces from the New York 80’s scene: ABC No Rio, Collaborative Projects (COLAB), Fashion Moda, and Group Material. New York : PAD, 1981.
WEDGE
Edited by Phil Mariani and Brian Wallis, Wedge was a seminal periodical combining artists' projects and critical and theoretical writings that ran during the early to mid 1980's. Wedge brought together the discourses of various disciplines – aesthetics, literary theory, history, psychoanalysis – which informed the politically and socially engaged art practices of this period.
The issues are 26 x 22 cm, paperback, glue bound (except No. 3/4/5), and offset printed.
Wedge. Number 1, An Aesthetic Inquiry. This issue includes an interview with Joseph Beuys; artists’ projects by Kathy Acker, Jonathan Crary, Margia Kramer, Guerilla Art Action Group, Jenny Holzer, and Paul McMahon with Nancy Chunn; “Empire : A Performance Trilogy” script by Robert Longo; and much more. New York: Wedge Press, 1982.
Wedge. Numbers 3/4/5, Partial Texts: Essays and Fictions. This special combined issue comes as a folder containing fourteen artists' chap books in varying sizes, and comprises an investigation of the "viability of a politically engaged form of writing…The hybridization evident in the melding of word and image and in the blurring distinctions between essay and fiction…stresses the various strategies and practices invented by the writers to conform language and writing to their specific political and social motivations”. Kathy Acker, Sylvia Kolbowski, Theresa Hak Kyung Cha, Gary Indiana and Sarah Charlesworth are among the contributors. The print over-runs of almost all of the pamphlets are available individually as well (search “wedge pamphlet” on our web-site). New York : Wedge Press, 1983.
Wedge. Number 6, Sexuality : Re/positions. Guest editor, Silvia Kowlbowski. Critical writings and artists’ projects by Judith Barry, Mary Kelly, Alice Jardine, Connie Hatch, Jean-Francoise Lyotard, Victor Burgin, Barbara Kruger with Carol Squieres and Lynn Tillman. Cover by Sherrie Levine.
Wedge. Number 7/8, The Imperialism of Representation/ The Representation of Imperialism. In this densely packed issue, leading scholars investigate both the political and historical structure, as well as the ideology and theoretical basis of post WWII U.S. global imperialism. A series of 12 "documents" provide detailed analysis of the effects of U.S. policy in the Central American wars, as well as the impact of corporate influence on international geo-political affairs. Additional essays examine media, representation, film and architecture in relation to (neo)colonialism and global capitalism. Contributors include Edward Said, Jurgen Habermas, Noam Chomsky, Jonathan Crary, Edward Herman, Gayatri Spivak, Jean-Luc Godard and others. All this amongst artists' projects for the page by Barbara Kruger, Alan McCollum, Laurie Simmons, and Sylvia Kolbowski. The magazine's design is by Louise Lawler.
WHITEWALLS
Founded in 1978 in Chicago by artist Buzz Spector and writers Reagan and Roberta Upshaw, Whitewalls began as a publication for artists working with language. For the most part Whitewalls is a straight-up sampler of artists’ experimental projects for the page: each issue contains from half a dozen to several dozen artists employing text, image, and other notations in various combinations. While Whitewalls featured an international cast of emerging and established artists, it also provided a showcase for the Chicago area’s experimental art community, including artists such as Jeane Dunning, Joseph Nechvatal, and Christopher Wool. In 2004, after issue number 45, Whitewalls transitioned from a periodic journal to publishing distinct artists’ books.
Almost all issues are 21.5 x 14 cm, paperback, glue bound and offset printed; Vol. 1, No. 1 and No. 3 are staple bound and the issues after No. 32 measure 28 x 22 cm
Whitewalls. COMPLETE SET [No.’s 1 – 47].
WhiteWalls. Vol. 1, No. 1 (March, 1978). Edited by Buzz Spector and Reagan Upshaw, this premiere issue features a number of experimental writing and text pieces for the page. Contributors include Ken Friedman, Dick Higgins, Agnes Denes and Richard Kostelanetz. Chicago : White Walls, Inc. 1978.
WhiteWalls. #4 (Summer 1980). This piece features an early text piece by Richard Prince, from "Moving by Wading More Than Swimming" as well as a number of striking image/text projects for the page, including “Wild Taxis” by Mitchell Kane, “Two Typewriter Drawings” by John Perreault, and “Green Inventory” by Ascher/Strauss. Chicago : WhiteWalls, Inc., 1980.
WhiteWalls. #8 (Summer 1983). In addition to artists’ page projects by Roberta Allen, Davi Det Hompson, Miles DeCoster, and Paul Zelevansky, this issue features “Artists Use of Language” curated by Barbara Kruger, which includes pages by Victor Burgin, General Idea, Hans Haacke, Jenny Holzer, Mary Kelley, Joseph Kosuth, Barbara Kruger, and Klaus Staeck among others. Chicago : WhiteWalls, Inc., 1983.
WhiteWalls. #13 (Spring 1986). This issues features a special section, “Drawing Now, and then…” with artists statements and/or drawings by a broad range of artists, including Richard Artschwaeger, Christo, Mike Kelly, Dorthea Rockburne, Pat Steir, and Lawrence Weiner. Chicago : WhiteWalls, Inc., 1986.
WhiteWalls. #16 (Spring 1987). This special Fluxus issue was guest edited by Ken Friedman who begins the issue with a spirited introduction on the Fluxus diaspora, “Explaining Fluxus, or Puissance de la Fluxus”. The rest of the issue is devoted to an excellent sampling of Fluxus page works including projects by Eric Anderson, George Brecht, Brian Buczak, Phillip Corner, Jean Dupuy, Geoff Hendricks, Dick Higgins, Alsion Knowles, Carolee Schneemann, and Robert Watts. Chicago : WhiteWalls, Inc., 1987.
ZG
Begun in London in 1980 by Rosetta Brookes, ZG ran 14 issues until 1985 (ZG would eventually also be published out of New York where much of its attention was focused). Brookes began the magazine in response to what she saw as an increasingly isolated, inaccessible, and thus irrelevant art world. ZG was to be a platform where many different forms of cultural activity – music, art, fashion, etc –could be celebrated and critically examined. Like many of the emerging artists and cultural theorists of the early 80’s, ZG drew upon a sociological critique of a broad range of cultures – popular cultures, elite cultures, sub cultures – and their different hybridized manifestations. Each issue was assigned a theme, often with pop culture overtones (Icons & Idols, Future Dread, Heroes, Political Fictions, etc) and presented a richly overlaid response – in the writing, in the imagery and artworks, and in the design (most issues are in an oversized 42 x 28 cm format). Along with Real Life and Wedge, ZG is one of the definitive small run periodicals that really captures the perspective and spirit of the 1980’s New York concentric art scene.
Available issues are approximately 42 x 28 cm, paperback, staple bound and offset printed; No. 2 folds in half to 30 x 21 cm.
ZG. No.2, Future Dread. This still timely issue explores the latent fascism inherent in capitalist culture. Includes “Violence and Representation” by Philip Monk; “The End of Liberalism” by Dan Graham; “Felix Guattari” interview, translated by Malcolm Imrie; “Terrorism in Disneyland” by Jonathon Miles; “Art and Purity” by Martin Pouret on the art of Gilbert and George; “The Will to Act” by Jean Fisher on Jenny Holzer; “Future Dread?” editorial by Rosetta Brooks. London : ZG, 1981.
ZG. No. 8, Heroes. Featured in this issue: “Is This the End?” by Jon Savage; “Elvis: Monuments to Beauty” by Tony Benn; “Heroes and Heroin” by Merle Ginsberg; “Idols of Glamour: Echoes of Death” by Krystina Kitsis; “I Dreamed I was an Androgynous Rock Star in my Maidenform Bra” by Ann Eleanor Magnuson; “Struggle for Glory” by Josh Baer. Art contributors: Sherrie Levine; Barbara Kruger, and Jan Wandja. London : ZG, 1983.
ZG. No. 12, Religion. With a cover of a newsphoto of Nancy Reagan hailing a jumbotron video of her husband recovering in the hospital after the assassination attempt, and a back cover cartoon piece by Mike Smith, the Religion issue features an interview with “Jan Wandja”; “All Things Being Equal...” by Silvia Kolbowski; “Auras: Dilation to Overflow” by Stuart Piggot; “Advertising Death’s Space” by Rosetta Brooks; “Fashion: Sacred Symbols/Magical Rites” by Krystina Kitsis; “Disco Inferno : The Limelight” by Carlo McCormick; and “The Frozen Land” by Peter Halley.
ZG. No. 14, Icons & Idols. Features in this issue: “Stardom and Royalty” by Krystina Kitsis; “Art Stars: Out of the Studios, into the Glossies”; “Art in Captivity” by Martin Pouret; “The Body Perfect” by Rosetta Brooks; “Amongst Recycled and Replicated Ruins” by Edward Allington; “Identifying Madonna” by Patrick Moxey & Karen Benson.
