Reading List: January 2009 #1

Before I launch the Linefeed Survey of 2008, here’s a brief list of reading matter gathered together over the festy break. Traditionally a slim time for magazines, with some even mooshing their Dec and Jan editions together to fit in a little extra downtime, this is really just a bit of a catch up on some notable recent releases.

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War! [warmagazine.com]
War! is a free style mag born of the same scene that spawned Super Super magazine only this mag is a much more formal and more rigourously constructed affair with, like, proper design and everyfink! The editorial is cheeky and rude in contrast to the very clean look and feel which manages to strike and healthy balance that Super Super and it’s ilk could only hope to achieve… but then I always liked Sleazenation and it did take a similar tack although in a less saucy vein.

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Gym Class [gymclassmagazine.com]
Gym Class is like a ’super zine’ and comes with the ace byline, ‘For the Guy Chosen Last’ (as in last in Gym Class, or as it was referred to when I was a lad, ‘P.E’. That’s Physical Education, in case you were wondering). For the inaugural issue you get a choice of 4 special covers featuring various knitted menaces by Hannah J Simpson [etsy.com]. You may have to be quick though cause the first batch sold out and their onto the second batch already.

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Lodown [lodownmagazine.com]
I miss the old Lodown when Marok was art director (I predict this will be the year I start sounding like a proper whingy old man and will start sentences with ‘I miss’ a lot). It just seemed less serious somehow. So I’m quite happy when StudioAnti [studioanti.com] are in charge. They really like to set up formal systems and then mess ‘em up. Issue #64 features some lush florescent overlays and some crazee streetscape interventions courtesy of Brad Downey [braddowney.com].

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Pyramid Power [pyramidpower.ca]
If only all art magazines were as witty and debonaire as Pyramid Power. Issue 5 sees their quirky approach to mixing editorial and design bed down a little, retaining certain formal aspects without loosing the visual tension that keeps you popping from one article to the next. It’s just ace.

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M/M Paris Inventory/Inventaire 2 [haunchofvenison.com]
Haunch of Venison (so named after the back alley their London gallery resides in running behind Bond Street) represent M/M Paris’s [mmparis.com] many artistic endeavours and they’ve only just gone and updated the M/M Paris compendium released in 2006. Originally designed by Spin [spin.co.uk], Michael & Mathias have updated this edition themselves and it’s lush. Highlights include their ‘Tree of Signs’ public sculpture in Iceland and the original fire sculptures used to form the words ‘Volta’ for Bjork’s last release. Now I just have to work out what to do with the first edition I bought way back when. Anyone got anything to swap? If you do email michael[at]presspublish.info.