The inaugural volume from Oslo Editions, Contra Mundum I-VII, documents a series of talks held at the Mandrake in Los Angeles on the theme of “contra mundum” or “against the world.” Taking its cue from Evelyn Waugh’s novel Brideshead Revisited, Contra Mundum posits the world-making potential of (anti)sociality as a subject position and the value of a notion of collectivity grounded in “association without relation.” So doing, the book considers a diverse range of topics, including the furniture of Donald Judd, Private Issue New Age music, animal subjectivity, misanthropy and the trope of self-banishment in Shakespeare, apocalypticism and the zombie film, pirates from Blackbeard to Somalia, and the post-punk vocalist Mark E. Smith. Featuring contributions from artists Rupert Deese, Elad Lassry, Anthony Pearson, and Frances Stark, and critics Aaron Kunin, Matthew Taylor Raffety, and Evan Calder Williams.

Artforum 500 Words.

A two-volume, limited edition catalogue designed by Brian Roettinger, published as his contribution to the exhibition, including essays by Andrew Berardini and Natilee Harren. Vol. 1 with texts; Vol. 2 with images.

Beyond the emergent field of sound art, there exist certain artists for whom music forms one aspect of a multi-faceted practice or for whom it plays a deep influence that may not find expression outside the studio. Conceived as a concept album-turned-exhibition, All Time Greatest offers the opportunity to consider how artists’ musical predilections — the secret soundtrack to their production — might add a dimension of significance to their work in an exhibition setting. The exhibition features the work of 11 LA-based artists: Gabrielle Ferrer, Brendan Fowler, Alex Klein, Dave Muller, Eamon Ore-Giron, Vincent Ramos, Steve Roden, Brian Roettinger, Sumi Ink Club (Luke Fischbeck and Sarah Rara), and Stephanie Taylor.

With the curator repositioned as fan or enthusiast, artists were selected out of an admiration for or curiosity about their musical knowledge and tastes. The center of the gallery will feature a turntable and record collection composed of each artist’s chosen “all time greatest” album. Visitors are welcome to thumb through and listen to the records. The pairing of visual art and music emphasizes the temporal dimension of viewing, and comfortable seating will invite visitors to spend extended time with the works on display. Against the culture of rapid digital file sharing, All Time Greatest uses the exhibition format as an opportunity to revive an analog, old-school approach to sharing music at the same time that it adapts the fan culture of audiophiles to the task of the curator.

Words Without Pictures was originally conceived by curator Charlotte Cotton and artist Alex Klein as a means of creating spaces for discourse around current issues in photography. Every month for a year, beginning in November 2007, an artist, educator, critic or curator was invited to contribute a short unillustrated essay about an aspect of emerging photography. Each piece was available on the Words Without Pictures website for one month and was accompanied by a discussion forum focused on its specific topic. Over the course of its month-long “life,” each essay received both invited and unsolicited responses from a wide range of interested parties. All of these essays, responses and other provocations are gathered together here. Previously issued as a print-on-demand title, we are pleased to present Words Without Pictures to the trade for the first time as part of the Aperture Ideas series.

Published on the occasion of the exhibition Terminus Ante Quem
Shane Huffman, Barbara Kasten, Anthony Pearson, Erin Shirreff
May 1 — June 12, 2010

Organized by Anthony Pearson
Essay by Alex Klein
Designed by Mark Owens

Paper Monument is a semi-annual print journal of contemporary art published in association with n+1. It is edited by Naomi Fry, Dushko Petrovich, Prem Krishnamurthy, Jessica Slaven, and Roger White, and designed by Project Projects.