THIS MONTH: Creativetime, Real Life Magazine, Freight + Volume Magazine 1, Global Feminisms, Nocturne: Late Nights at the Whitechapel, Conrad Atkinson, New Photography from China, China International Gallery Exposition 2006

This month’s list hits both the local and global by reflecting on the history of art in New York City and highlighting new trends and initiatives overseas. Read on.

Creativetime, New York’s long-standing institution for public art, celebrates its 33rd anniversary this month with a gorgeous new title detailing its history. Dense with interviews, essays, and more than 300 images documenting three decades of innovative public art projects, this book is a must have for anyone interested in Public Art or the history of New York’s diverse art scene. Contributors include many of the world's most dynamic, emerging, and established artists including Vito Acconci, Laurie Anderson, Paul Chan, Mel Chin, Thomas Demand, Julian LaVerdiere, Jenny Holzer, Adelle Lutz, William Pope.L, Martha Rosler, David Levi Strauss, and Mierle Laderman Ukeles.

New York art history buffs should also checkout the new non-profit Primary Information. Devoted to printing artists books,  artist writings, out of print publications and editions, Primary Information  premiered this month with an anthology of the seminal 1980s periodical   Real Life Magazine. Edited and produced by artist, writer and curator  Thomas Lawson and writer Susan Morgan, this comprehensive anthology features  writings by and about Dara Birnbaum, Eric Bogosian, Rhys Chatham, Mark Dion,  Jack Goldstein, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Kim Gordon, Dan Graham, Thomas  Lawson, Louise Lawler, Sherrie Levine, Allan McCollum, John Miller, Dave  Muller, Matt Mullican, Adrian Piper, Richard Prince, David Robbins, Ed  Ruscha, Cindy Sherman, Laurie Simmons, Michael Smith, John Stezaker, Bernard  Tschumi, Jeff Wall, Lawrence Weiner, and James Welling among others.

Another innovative "art mag" was just launched by New York gallery   Freight + Volume. Following a format similar to Me Magazine, each  issue spotlights one or two artists who work with the gallery and provides a  picture of the friends, influences and aspirations that aid and influence  their creative process. Brendan Cass and Brian Belott are the focus of this  issue, which features essays and interviews by Donald Baechler, Joe Bradley,  Melissa Brown, Katherine Bernhardt, Jen DeNike, Anthony Haden-Guest, and  Chie Fueki.

The Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art at the Brooklyn  Museum opened its doors this spring. Dedicated to exhibiting feminist  art, its inaugural exhibition Global Feminisms: New Directions in Contemporary Artis a survey of over 80 women artists from over 50  countries. The exhibition catalog provides an unparalleled perspective on  feminist art practice from 1990 until the present day. A crucial document  that is not to be missed, the book includes work by a multinational group of  artists Catherine Opie, Miwa Yanagi, Pilar Albarracin, Shahzia Sikander and  Yin Xiuzhen.
 
Turning eastward, London’s Whitechapel Art Gallery produced the  first-ever audio release from their popular weekly music series Late Nights at the Whitechapel. A compilation of 15 studio and live tracks by  the innovative artists who have performed at the space, the CD spans a wide  variety of genres from UK grime and rockabilly swing to improv jazz and  metal doom. Artists include: Alexander Tucker, Francois and the Atlas  Mountains, Shimmy Rivers & And Canal, Humanzee, Yeborobo, Agaskodo  Teliverek, Temperatures, The Bobby McGee's, Suzanne Andrade, Leopard Leg,  Sleeping States, Evan Parker with Birds, Jesus Licks, DJ Top Gear, and Ruff  Sqwad.

More than 30 years after his groundbreaking exhibition at London's  Institute of Contemporary Arts, Conrad Atkinsonis rightly regarded  as one of Britain's most important living political artists. Landescapes,  the first of a complete series on Atkinson's oeuvre, reviews work relating  specifically to the land, and was published in response to the inclusion of  Atkinson's early masterwork, "For Wordsworth, For West Cumbria," in the Tate  Gallery's recent exhibition, A Picture of Britain. The book includes  an essay by Richard Cork, chief art critic of the London Times, an interview  with Antony Hudek of the Courtauld Institute, and original writings by the  artist. Represented in New York by the Ronald Feldman Gallery, Atkinson is  also a Professor of Art at the University of California at  Davis.

Anyone attuned to the international art scene will know that further  east, China is booming. We’ve received two contemporary art books out of  China that highlight the latest artists and trends coming out of the area.  3030 Press, based in Hong Kong, is known for their high-end English-language  art books. Colorful, fully illustrated and superbly designed, 3030’s New Photography in China brings together some of the most well known  photographers under 30 including Cai Wei Dong, Cao Fei, Chen Wei, Chi Peng,  Guo Hang, Jin Shan, Liang Yue, Liu Ren, Lu Yanpeng, Peng & Chen and Su  Han Guang, Yang Chang Hong, and Zhao Yao among others.
 
Timezone 8 have provided a complete index of the 108 leading Asian and  Chinese galleries who exhibited at the China International Gallery Exposition in April 2006. A full overview of Asian and particularly  Chinese art today, this whopping 450-page paperback wonderfully presents  works and information about established and emerging artists coming out of  this area and their representation worldwide.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL LIST FOR MAY

Creativetime 33 Years

During its 33-year history, Creative Time has produced 313 public art projects involving 1,361 artists in New York City. This book, which is dense with text and photographs, both celebrates that achievement and assesses the current state of public art. Creative Time has dedicated itself to a concept of public art that is temporary and experimental rather than permanent and monumental. In the late 1970s, the group was known for taking over empty real estate, whether a building lobby or a landfill. In the 1980s, at a time of rising political activism, they were likely to insert art onto street corners, the sides of buses, milk cartons or takeout coffee cups. The 21 contributors to this book include critics, curators, artists, novelists and the three people who have helmed the organization. Their essays and interviews offer an entertaining and sometimes nostalgic look at three decades of the New York art scene. The book will interest those involved with public art in cities nationwide.

Princeton Architectural Press, July 2007, 288 pages (275 color, 25 b&w), 11.1 x 8.1 x 1.2 inches, ISBN-10: 1568986963

$50.00

Real Life Magazine: Selected Writing and Projects 1979-1994

This volume highlights a selection of writings and projects from Real Life magazine, a seminal 1980s periodical edited by the artist, writer and curator Thomas Lawson and writer Susan Morgan. Published in 23 intermittent black-and-white issues from 1979-1994, Real Life was devoted to providing an outlet for a circle of artists who did not feel properly represented in the mainstream art world at the time--many of whom are now grouped with the Pictures and Post-Pictures artists. The anthology features both artists and art historians writing on art, media and popular culture--oftentimes infusing a new kind of humor into their cultural critiques--as well as original pictorial contributions. Includes writings by and about Eric Bogosian, Kim Gordon, Dan Graham, Barbara Kruger, Thomas Lawson, Richard Prince, Michael Smith, Ed Ruscha, Jeff Wall and Lawrence Weiner, to name a few, as well as visual projects by Sherrie Levine, James Welling, Felix Gonzalez-Torres and Group Material, among others.

Primary Information, June 2007, Paperback, 8.25 x 11 in. / 288 pgs / 184 b&w. ISBN: 0978869702

$30.00

Freight + Volume Magazine 1

This quarterly publication focuses on the artists with whom the gallery works, as well as extending outside the periphery to include other artists, curators, critics and gallerists. Primarily interview and essay based, the publication also concentrates on artwork images, studio shots and portraits. This first issue, highlighting Brendan Cass and Brian Belott features essays and interviews by Donald Baechler, Joe Bradley, Melissa Brown, Katherine Bernhardt, Jen DeNike, Anthony Haden-Guest, and Chie Fueki among others.

$15.00

Global Feminisms: New Directions in Contemporary Art

Global Feminisms is a celebration of contemporary feminist art that brings together works by over eighty women artists from around the world. Contributions by a multinational team of authors focus particular attention on socio-cultural, racial and gender identities. By offering new perspectives on feminist artistic expression since 1990, this ground-breaking book moves the discourse of feminism away from its traditional linear history and towards a global inclusiveness that acknowledges the cultural differences in women's lives and the ever-changing perceptions of feminism. Features the work of more than eighty contemporary women artists from over fifty countries, among them Catherine Opie, Miwa Yanagi, Pilar Albarracà n, Shahzia Sikander and Yin Xiuzhen. Includes essays offering new perspectives by internationally known contributors.

Merrell, March 2007, 304 pages, 10.7 x 9.6 x 1.3 inches, ISBN-10: 1858943906

$54.95

Nocturne: Late Nights at the Whitechapel

Over the last year, the historic East London gallery Whitechapel has seen ever-growing crowds flock through its doors to see the consistently strong Friday night line-ups. Performances by artists like Vincent Vincent, Evan Parker, Polar Bear, Bat For Lashes and Ruff Squad have galvanised the space’s standing as a key new venue to witness groundbreaking music. This compilation is the first ever CD release by the Whitechapel. It features studio tracks and live recordings kindly submitted by some of the artists involved. The album reflects the ethos of the nights, where UK grime and rockabilly swing can slip as easily into a lacerating guitar solo as a mesmerising folk tale.

Artist include: Alexander Tucker, Francois and the Atlas Mountains, Shimmy Rivers & And Canal, Humanzee, Yeborobo, Agaskodo Teliverek, Temperatures, The Bobby McGee's, Suzanne Andrade, Leopard Leg, Sleeping States, Evan Parker with Birds, Jesus Licks, DJ Top Gear, Ruff Sqwad

Whitechapel Art Gallery, Audio CD

$10.00

Conrad Atkinson: Landescapes

ore than 30 years after his groundbreaking exhibition at London's Institute of Contemporary Arts, Conrad Atkinson is rightly regarded as one of Britain's most important living political artists. Landescapes, the first of a complete series on Atkinson's oeuvre, reviews work relating specifically to the land, and is published in response to the inclusion of Atkinson's early masterwork, "For Wordsworth, For West Cumbria," in the Tate Gallery's recent exhibition, A Picture of Britain, where the work was given central placement. The book includes an essay by Richard Cork, chief art critic of the London Times, an interview with Antony Hudek of the Courtauld Institute, and original writings by the artist.

John Isaacs Books, March 2007, Paperback, 8.5 x 10.5 in. / 104 pgs / 55 color., ISBN: 0977297101 ISBN13: 9780977297108

$29.95

New Photography in China

This fully illustrated survey of 30 of China's brightest photographers under 30 shows a new generation of artists, unburdened by ideology and immersed in the economic and social changes that have transformed China over the past 20 years. From international artists and photo journalists to video makers and web bloggers, their images reveal a variety of styles that reflect the influence not only of tradition and politics but also foreign media channels and the development of a home-grown pop culture. Together, these works describe the possibilities and anxieties of life in modern China, as well as a powerful new sense of creative identity. Essays by leading scholars and curators introduce the photographers and their work. For students and enthusiasts of China and photography 3030: New Photography in China is an essential companion and sheds a unique light on the country's evolving art scene.

3030 Press, December 2006, 192 pages, 9.5 x 7.3 x .6 inches, ISBN-10: 9889938405

$39.00

China International Gallery Exposition 2006

At almost 450 pages, this big, bright cloth-covered paperback provides a complete index of the 108 galleries that came together for the China International Gallery Exposition in April of 2006--as well as a complete overview of what's happening in Asian, and particularly Chinese, art today. A major event in international art diplomacy, the 2006 Expo brought leading Asian galleries from Beijing, Shanghai, Seoul, Tokyo, and Hong Kong together with kindred spirits from cities as far-flung as Vienna and Toronto. Works by established artists stood side by side with new pieces from some of China's newest names, as well as other emerging artists from around the world.

Timezone 8, May 2007, Paperback, 8.5 x 11 in. / 429 pgs / 420 color., ISBN: 9889901560

$46.00