''Arty'' is an independent British art fanzine started by the artist
Cathy Lomax in 2001. Lomax is also the editor. ''Arty'' is for art fans written by artists themselves and published by Transition Gallery's editions department, the
artist-run space
An artist-run space or artist-run centre (Canada) is a gallery or other facility operated or directed by artists, frequently circumventing the structures of public art centers, museums, or commercial galleries and allowing for a more experimental ...
in
East London
East London is the part of London, England, east of the ancient City of London and north of the River Thames as it begins to widen. East London developed as London Docklands, London's docklands and the primary industrial centre. The expansion of ...
.
History
''Arty'' was founded in 2001 in
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
by
Cathy Lomax. It is published twice a year and sold across the UK, including the
Tate Modern
Tate Modern is an art gallery in London, housing the United Kingdom's national collection of international Modern art, modern and contemporary art (created from or after 1900). It forms part of the Tate group together with Tate Britain, Tate Live ...
,
Tate Britain
Tate Britain, known from 1897 to 1932 as the National Gallery of British Art and from 1932 to 2000 as the Tate Gallery, is an art museum on Millbank in the City of Westminster in London, England. It is part of the Tate network of galleries in En ...
and
ICA in London.
Frustrated by opportunities for emerging artists to voice their opinions and concerns and inspired by zine culture, artist Cathy Lomax started Arty as an antidote to dry, critic led writing about art. The first 20 issues were photocopied and stapled and featured eclectic artist led content including reviews of contemporary art and numerous exclusive drawings from over 30
[ prominent and emerging artists from around the world. Themes of past issues have included Entertainment, Boys, Girls, Books, Nature, Alphabet, Scandal, Our Idols, Labels and Reviews London.
From issue 21 the size of the magazine has increased and each issue includes a featured colour. Recent contributors have been Jessica Voorsanger, Sarah Doyle, Rachel Cattle and Gavin Toye.
Arty has featured British artist ]Stella Vine
Stella Vine (born Melissa Jane Robson, 1969) is an English artist, who lives and works in London. Her work is figurative painting, with subjects drawn from personal life, as well as from rock stars, royalty, and other celebrities.
In 2001, she ...
's drawings and art since 2003. In November 2002, Vine also contributed a drawing on an envelope, ''Untitled'' (2002), to the compilation book Arty Greatest Hits In Winter 2003, Vine contributed a drawing to Arty's issue number 13, in which artists were given a letter of the alphabet and asked to make a drawing related to their given letter. Vine's drawing was ''E is for Eggs'', depicting the artist Sarah Lucas
Sarah Lucas (born 1962) is an English artist. She is part of the generation of Young British Artists who emerged in 1988. Her works frequently employ visual puns and bawdy humour by incorporating photography, sculpture, collage and found object ...
with fried eggs on her T-shirt. Vine contributed a drawing ''Joe eating hash cakes'' (2004) to Arty 16: Boys
In 2008, Vine was one of 20 artists invited to create a tarot card
Tarot (, first known as '' trionfi'' and later as ''tarocchi'' or ''tarocks'') is a set of playing cards used in tarot games and in fortune-telling or divination. From at least the mid-15th century, the tarot was used to play trick-taking ca ...
for ''Entertainment'', the 24th issue of Arty. Vine contributed an acrylic painting on paper called ''The Tower'' for her tarot card.
Arty 25: Fame was published in March 2009. It features Jessica Voorsanger, Harry Pye, Gavin Toye, Sarah Doyle, Kim L Pace, Cathy Lomax, Grace Morgan and Carolina Casis.
In 2002, ''Arty'' was described by journalist Dave Calhoun in '' Dazed & Confused'' magazine as "a fanzine written by artists about art—of all shapes and sizes."
Arty participated in the first Publish and Be Damned fair in London in 2004 and has taken part in all the subsequent PABDs
Althea Greenan, Senior Librarian of Goldsmiths College
Goldsmiths, University of London, formerly Goldsmiths College, University of London, is a Member institutions of the University of London, constituent research university of the University of London. It was originally founded in 1891 as The G ...
, London described ''Arty'' as "low budget" but "confident" and "sharply relevant". Contributors have included: Jasper Joffe, Stella Vine
Stella Vine (born Melissa Jane Robson, 1969) is an English artist, who lives and works in London. Her work is figurative painting, with subjects drawn from personal life, as well as from rock stars, royalty, and other celebrities.
In 2001, she ...
, Cathie Pilkington
Cathie Suzzanne Pilkington (born 31 July 1968) is a London-based British sculptor represented by Karsten Schubert London. She studied at Edinburgh College of Art and the Royal College of Art, and was elected as a Royal Academician in 2014. Sh ...
, Harry Pye
Harry William Pye (born 31 August 1973) is a British artist, writer, and event organizer.
Early life
Pye was born in London. He completed a foundation course at Camberwell School of Art in 1991. He then studied printmaking at Winchester School ...
, Cathy Lomax and Jessica Voorsanger.
Collection
A book chronicling the early history of the magazine, ''Arty Greatest Hits'', was published in 2004. The book compiled the best articles and drawings from the first 16 issues, as well as including new work made especially on the theme of Greatest Hits.[ Articles included reviews of ]Tracey Emin
Dame Tracey Karima Emin (; born 3 July 1963) is an English artist known for autobiographical and confessional artwork. She produces work in a variety of media including drawing, painting, sculpture, film, photography, Neon lighting, neon text ...
's exhibition at White Cube
White Cube is a contemporary art gallery founded by Jay Jopling in London in 1993. The gallery has two branches in London: White Cube Mason's Yard in central London and White Cube Bermondsey in South East London; White Cube Hong Kong, in Centra ...
gallery,[ and thoughts on artist duo ]Gilbert and George
Gilbert Prousch, sometimes referred to as Gilbert Proesch (born 17 September 1943), and George Passmore (born 8 January 1942) are artists who work together as the collaborative art duo Gilbert & George. They are known for their formal appearance ...
.[ ]Stella Vine
Stella Vine (born Melissa Jane Robson, 1969) is an English artist, who lives and works in London. Her work is figurative painting, with subjects drawn from personal life, as well as from rock stars, royalty, and other celebrities.
In 2001, she ...
contributed a drawing ''Joe eating hash cakes'' (2004) to ''Arty Greatest Hits''
Notes and references
{{Reflist
External links
Arty Magazine official website
Visual arts magazines published in the United Kingdom
Lifestyle magazines published in the United Kingdom
Monthly magazines published in the United Kingdom
Contemporary art magazines
Independent magazines
Magazines established in 2001
Magazines published in London
2001 establishments in England
British companies established in 2001