Radical Traditionalists

Radical Traditionalists

This article in Print magazine focuses on four L.A. based magazines and how they challenge the idea of what an art magazine is. The editors are multidisciplinary, such as Andrew Snyder, the former art director of the snowboard company Joyride, is now also the founder of Arkitip (pronounced “archetype”). Arkitip, Anthem, ANP Quarterly, and Swindle have each tried to “transcend the idea of a magazine”.

Arkitip began in 1999 as a zine and has evolved every year with changed packaging and design. Today, it comes encased in plastic that contain collectible items, such as playing cards designed by Kaws, and a porn-star air freshener designed by graffiti artist Todd James (REAS). Inside the magazine, there are six to eight pages of original art without any comment save for a brief interview. Arkitip wants the art to speak for itself.

ANP Quarterly put out the first issue in 11” x 17” format and didn’t even bind it. They wanted to draw a connection between art and the community and encourage people to really interact with the pages. “You can cut it up, you can hang up the pages, you can make stuff out of it. It’s like a gift”.

Anthem is compared to an underground version of Vogue, with it’s glossy cover and perfect binding. It is different because its mission is simply to filter and convey the editor’s interests, rather than “showcase their artistic instincts”. Swindle focuses on key cultural moments from history and today. With “refined street art aesthetic”, Swindle is hardbound to encourage people to keep it like a book, a permanent resource as opposed to traditionally disposable image of a magazine.