| As 1998 droned on to a close,
ArtNet took a quick survey of a subject dear to
everyone's heart -- the state of art writing online. As
you might expect, there's no shortage of people with
something to say about art. Here, a list of the top arty
ezine sites in English -- though why you would want to
read about art anywhere else but here is beyond me. artwURL
The chipper East Village spirit of performance-art
outpost P.S. 122 shines through in its ezine, artwURL.
Edited by Calvin Reid, the site is chock full of chatty
and insightful reviews, and has a regularly updated sound
gallery for those who feel limited by the solely visual.
My one complaint is the tiny illustrations, which load
fast but make me feel like I'm looking at the art from
across the street.
The
Journal of Contemporary Art
Don't let the name fool you. Critic and curator Klaus
Ottmann's Journal of Contemporary Art is sexier
than its restrained title suggests. Presently it features
a conversation between Mariko Mori and Kunié Sugiura (a
witty juxtaposition of two generations of Japanese women
artists in New York), a sprightly discussion with
Brit-Pop sensation Gillian Wearing and an in-depth
interview with the wonderful British sculptor Julian
Opie. The online projects are a little clunky (as often
is the case), and the book section is still in the works,
but the site's extensive archive should keep you busy
until the kinks are out.
Postmedia
Postmedia is a dream come true: a hip art ezine
with smart content and a beautiful interface (and not
just because its editor is ArtNet Milan correspondent
Gianni Romano). It includes features on contemporary
artists both old and new (from Piero Manzoni to Chris
Offili), interviews, a decent number of images and the
occasional art project. It has some connection with the
London art magazine Untitled, though it's hard to
determine exactly what.
The
Journal of the Society for the Prevention of Art
Monstrosities (SPAM)
The SPAM journal is a hilarious art magazine parody from
Australia. The nicely designed current issue includes a
call for proposals for art projects on Mars, the
Monty-Pythonesque "Journals of Piles Gouty,"
and a flawless swipe at Mies van der Rohe's Barcelona
Chair: "Where's the truth to materials in
that?
If it is made of leather it should look like a
cow!"
Critical Review
Simple, straightforward and sober, Critical Review
features well-written reviews of shows around New York.
Edited by Jay Grimm and Alissa Schoenfeld, the zine also
hosts a discussion area and posts content from Art
Criticism, the journal edited by SUNY Stony Brook
prof Donald Kuspit. Definitely worth a look for its
refreshing intelligence without pretense.
Athena
The German ezine Athena is notable mostly for its
exhaustive online index on Joseph Beuys. Athena
also carries system-theory-based scientific texts about
contemporary art and gender studies. With titles like
"The Artwork as a System and its Esthetic
Experience" and "The Social Construction of
Gender Identity" (the latter in German), these
essays are sure to satisfy the most stalwart theorist in
your home.
Tokyo
Survival Guide Journal
Not really an art ezine, the Tokyo Survival Guide
Journal is worth mentioning all the same for its
Floating Pu Diary, "a carefree diary of a mysterious
American-Japanese artist and essaist, Pu." Is Pu a
funny name in Japanese? In any case, Pu really gets
around, attending an Elizabeth Peyton opening,
interviewing Mike Kelley and going to shows of the bands
Mouse on Mars and Stereolab. The site includes articles
about Otaku culture (Japanese comic-book fandom) and
other cool Japanese topics.
Art
Minimal and Conceptual Only
This ezine with the uncompromising name encompasses a lot
of great material on a growing list of artists ranging
from Antonin Artaud to Larry Bell and Felix
Gonzalez-Torres. The site includes a good number of
images, some statements by artists and reprints of
articles by major art critics, and links to an I-Ching
site in tribute to John Cage.
GIOVANNI
GARCIA-FENECH is a painter who lives in Brooklyn.
|