VENEER MAGAZINE...

I could have called this blogpost: Where does creativity end?

Stay hooked.

Few hours ago my eldest son just got back from the US, where he's been vacationing the last ten days with a mate with whom he studied in Arnhem, not long ago. Had a pretty long flight as he flew from the West coast (Portland, OR) to Newark, NJ to pick a connecting Continental flight to Brussels.

As we were driving home he spoke of this guy they met, an artist, who creates a magazine, The Veneer Magazine, funded by a 'maecenas' he knew, a loaded patron of the arts. The activity is set-up in a pack-house somewhere in Portland. I Googled him and came across this declaration of his work by the artist himself, Aaron Flint Jamison:

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Veneer Magazine

From Aaron Flint Jamison, editor-in-chief:

Re: Veneer. It is this problem.

We were given the opportunity to make a collection of books over the next five years. As you might know, however, the text is hard. It has become difficult to think about such a project and maybe even miserable to attempt to explain it as a cogent idea. The only books that I have made prior to this are a computer virus that I wrote and bound into an edition of one and a weird collaborative project that failed. The idea of this new project being a kind of literal narrative scares me. However, I’m deeply inspired by a couple of periodicals of the past. Also: some academic and trade journals.

Veneer has no focus. Kind of like the internet — but we’re the ones stealing it. I have no clue what I’m doing. I’m just constantly fumbling, trusting. That’s why I can’t believe that it actually exists. I just received the first issue test copies back from the press in Winnipeg. Some photos are on the web site somewhere.

Ve is a very small operation. We are making an edition of 300 and starting with only 700 being available for distribution. The edition is the actual subscription service. There are no annual or biannual subscriptions to Veneer. Individuals can purchase the collection of all 18 books (including all back issues) or acquire them one book at a time. The remaining 700 books in the press run are being distributed online and through a select group of bookstores, museums, libraries and galleries.

There is no home office. Some of us live in San Francisco and Los Angeles. One editor lives in New York. A couple of us are in London and Portland, OR. We resist being legitimate in this manner. In a similar light, we chose a publisher out of Portland that has only made a few books but focuses on a strange kind of incubation. They understand the idea of the gesture incredibly well. We are a very strange fit and we feel uncomfortable working together. Nevertheless, I am happy with them and our commitment to one another makes sense in the context of Veneer.

Maybe I can give you more later. Here’s 01/18.

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Sounds hugely unusual, doesn't it? I mostly liked his statement: Veneer has no focus! Cool! Kinda like this blog, eh? And, BTW, connect to his online 01/18 book, via the link he provided above and enjoy the articles. I liked the French Fried a lot!