Cryptoartmags No More

In the past it’s often been hard to take yer a-typical Art magazine very seriously. Most seem to work on the idea of bamboozling potential readers with over long essays and brain worrying imagery but lately I’ve found there is a select few I’m more than happy to have sitting on my bookshelf snuggling up next to the slimline Entertainment Weeklys and bulky copies of Mark and Self Service. Even weirder, I’ve actually started reading them too! This is partly due to a new breed of Art based publications attempting to ditch the cryptographic style of writing favoured by university lecturers and wannabe curators and get back to engaging readers from a wider demographic such as Pyramid Power [pyramidpower.ca], Zero Duex and Uovo. In short, they’re a bit more fun (Tate Etc take note!).

Uovo [uovo.tv]
Uovo is from Italy although mainly written in English and is hard to define as a magazine from just looking at it. It’s bulky… like 400+ pages of bulky. But for that you get some neat, well structured design, fairly easy to read essays and interviews plus 2 CDs and a sort mini music magazine at the back. The latest issue runs with the theme of ecology and is suitably green (although it’s a toxic looking florescent green, so it they’re not over egging their theme too much)…