Exploring form to a varying degree, this issue from 1994 addresses the physical body, body of the page, and body of an artist’s work. Some pages involve an accordion envelope that folds out of the body of the book or a series of ziploc bags stapled to a page. Some elements protrude so greatly that they encroach the next page. Other pages are as subtle as a lone poem. All the pages and elements come together to form a whole body of questions, solutions, and inquiries.
Originating as a conceptual exchange among artists, Art/Life Magazine, was one of the longest continually published artists’ periodicals of the 20th century, presenting a diverse array of art during its 25-year history. Art/Life founder Joe Cardella had asked artists to submit and mail original artworks from all over the world to be compiled into limited edition magazines. As a way to increase accessibility to contemporary art practice, Art/Life documented the lives of the artists, their thoughts, emotions, and creative processes through the transition from industrial to digital art practice. The magazine’s legacy can be seen at MoMa, the Guggenheim, Getty, and LACMA, portraying a global consciousness and collaboration between distanced networks of contemporary artists.