“Artist self-publishers subvert and ignore the publishing rulebook” say ASP curators

As the Artist Self-Publishers’ fair returns for its second edition, ASP2: The Sequel, this weekend at the ICA, the curators, artists Dan Mitchell and Sara MacKillop, spoke to us about why artists are the most avant-garde publishers out there, because they can do whatever the hell they want.

“Self-publishing appeals to artists and their audiences for lots of reasons. Possibly because magazines and most publications follow fairly predictable lines and are commercially minded, so there is little to actually challenge the mind. But when artists get involved, the rulebook is subverted and ignored.

Lines of good taste or common sense are often meaningless in artistic publications. The artists can be very self-indulgent, or take huge risks and go for broke, follow unruly obsessions, break laws on copyright, or be as boring and mindless as possible. This makes for a hugely fertile soil from which these strange things can emerge.

We’re keen on highlighting the artists that appreciate the medium for more than just a vanity project. It can be very hard to say why one publication gets into ASP and another doesn’t, more often it’s a feeling that the artist has somehow managed to dent something in the mind that reveals a madness or obsession that communicates that certain special something.
 
As with the first fair last year, ASP 2 hosts artist self-publishers only, and will continue to avoid the restrictions and market dominance of much of contemporary arts culture. The publications are still the artworks; affordable and available, and remain free from the fetter of the institution or gallery. The ideas images and text are produced and published by artists who understand the restrictions and freedoms of the printed page. Here’s some highlights to look out for:

Hate zine issue three

Hate will be exclusively launching its third issue at ASP2, focusing on the profound and often isolating world of mental health. This will include an interview with Carl Cattermole, who brought his HMS Prison Survival Guide about mental health and the prison system to ASP in 2015. Dani Miller, will be focusing on medication in the US and how creativity can be a source of comfort to mental health sufferers.

The Nervemeter

The Nervemeter, is a non-profit organisation that publishes a counter-culture magazine sold on the streets by homeless people, hostel dwellers and those who are precariously-housed. The printing of the magazine is paid for by donations and the vendors keep all the money it makes.

David Osbaldeston

David Osbaldeston, senior Fine Art Lecturer at Manchester School of Art, will be presenting his work which engages with language in relation to its visual representation and takes the form of installation, posters, drawing, print media and self-publishing. The work explores humour and absurdism through “word signs” in a bid to produce observations which escape language as utility.

Laura Yuile

Artist Laura Yuile works predominantly in sculpture, video and performance; but will be presenting new works for the fair taking the form of images published on items such as leggings, bags, travel mugs and notepads. She has been working on the series for the past year, hijacking an online platform that allows any user to have their artwork printed and sold to the public on a range of standardised products. Yuile will be bringing to the fair a range titled Rise Above featuring images of buildings being demolished.

The Artist Self-Publishers’ Fair 2016, ASP2: The Sequel hosts over 70 international independent artist self-publishers for a one-day fair on 10 September at ICA London.