Augusto Mendoza of Books Are Nice and Edwin Beauchamp aka Edau of Coloform present Pages & Spreads, an event for sharing printed matter. The two local artist aim to create a meeting place for publishers, other artists, retailers, and collectors who are dedicated to the production of books, catalogs, periodicals, and zines.
Augusto Mendoza’s Books Are Nice is a publishing and graphic design studio hailing from our hometown – Miami, FL. Founded in 2011, Books Are Nice strives to promote printed matter via their blog, publishing, and events. Mendoza personally curates a shop with a selection of photography, graphic design and editorials that not only inspire but also educate (see below).
Graphic designer and illustrator, Edwin Reginald Beauchamp, also based in the MIA, has also been working on events to locally promote printed materials alongside our mutual friend Luis Pinto, creator of the local zine, StrangeWays.
As we’ve previously mentioned in a feature for a previous StrangeWays Zine Release Party (see: Coloform: Augusto Mendoza x Edau), Edau specializes in a clean, systematic approach (which we obviously totally appreciate) meanwhile conveying a unique visual aesthetic. If you dig his stuff, hit him up! Edau consults and offers his skills to local business and organizations.
In a nutshell, Pages & Spreads will be reading room of sorts focused on promoting the tradition of publishing by showcasing how artist are using graphic design as a means by which to communicate.
Previously on Tropicult, we’ve introduced you to many of the Pages & Spreads’ participating exhibitors including Brian Butler and StrangeWays. Let’s get to know the rest of the artist and organizations whose work we haven’t yet discussed or featured on the site, shall we? First up, Girls’ Club, private foundation and alternative space established in 2006 by Francie Bishop Good and David Horvitz, which will be bringing out their self-published catalogs and limited edition multiples commissioned by local artists (below).
The Miami Rail
Founded and published by Nina Johnson-Milewski, The Miami Rail is an editorially independent expansion of the Brooklyn Rail. Founded in 2012, The Miami Rail is published quarterly in print and online to provide critical coverage of local art and culture. The Miami Rail is written and (mostly) edited by artists and writers with the guidance of Editor-in-Chief, Hunter Braithwaite.
Jai-Alai Magazine
Jai-Alai Magazine is a limited-edition journal containing black and white drawings, poetry, fiction, and essays. The magazine began in the Spring of 2011 with Issue #10 and will end with the Fall 2015 with Issue #1. Each is a limited edition with a series of interlinking covers designed by one of my fav locals, kaleidoscope. Jai-Alai Magazine #8 will be on sale for $15 an issue at Pages & Spreads pop-up event. Contributors: Frank Báez, Malachi Black, Melissa Broder, Yolanda Castaño, Mark DeCarteret, Matthew Gajewski, Katherine M. Hedeen, Christopher Louvet, Zyanya Mariana, Colleen Newcomb, Víctor Rodríguez Núñez, Yaddyra Peralta, Parker Phillips, Jessica Rivo, Curtis Perdue, Gregory Sherl, Brian Spears, Christ os Tsaimis, Nick Vagnoni.
Submit! Jai-Alai does not throw away or recycle unpublished submissions. Provided it conforms to our guidelines, every submission we receive will be placed into an unedited archive that will serve as an additional documentation of Miami’s literary life during the years of the magazine’s production. Jai-Alai Magazine is sold in artist-designed drop-boxes that also serve as the magazine’s submission system. The drop-boxes are hosted by small businesses who support literature including Lester’s and Sweat Records.
Lazaro Rodriguez
Lazaro Rodriguez aka Laz is a dark, hairy Cuban-American kid from Miami. I couldn’t find much on this dude except that a couple of years ago the Miami New Times published an interview on him where he discussed Greek mythology, his infamous blogging habit, the art book I Swear, and the ominous quality of our city.
“Rarely do I try to set something up, because I find a lot of the time, it comes out looking corny. I have a very casual approach while shooting. My main focus is color and shape as opposed to framing or whatever. If I can zoom in close enough to abstract the subject and blur the shape and wash out the color, then it could work. Shooting the less obvious subject is more interesting because you probably didn’t see it in person, but you will see it in the photograph. Like that guy’s butt crack or the guy sitting in the dark corner. I see it.”
Nina Hartmann
I looked into Nina Hartmann and managed to find a few images and print from a series she completed last winter. Most of these are 22×30 screen prints on paper. Each unique edition shares imagery with 2-3 similar versions.
the end
the end, is a nomadic artist-run project created by Patricia M. Hernandez. the end will be engaging patrons and eliciting discussion at the premiere Pages & Spreads pop-up. Throughout the year, the end collaborates with various artists and community members to stimulate dialogue concerning issues in contemporary art and culture within South Florida through lectures, exhibitions, site-specific projects, publications, or workshops that inform and demonstrate the different methods of presenting ideas.
Electric Lunch
Patricia Margarita Hernandez also created a radio program, Electric Lunch. Electric Lunch specializes in unique event driven broadcasts like the upcoming Pages & Spreads pop-up. Programming ranges from female rants to ongoing collaborative seminars with other local organizations such as Particlehaus.
The idea for Electric Lunch came from the concept of pirate radio – unregulated audio exchange dependent only upon the acquisition of a transistor and the will to occupy vacant radio frequencies. Pirate radio is a powerful tool of communication because it is available to anyone in range with a basic radio. Thus, Electric Lunch is a fantastic experimental platforms for artists and musicians alike.
Dale Zine
Handmade in Miami, Dale Zine, is another full-color limited edition zine. A previously printed edition of the zine I found, Super Great (left), includes works by Sam Borkson, Tury Sandoval, Jen Stark, Freegums, Jack Teagle, Philipp Dornbierer, Rosie Eisor, Jay Cover, Stevezy, Ice Sak (DFW), Kabuki Iron Kolors and few others.
Not only is Dale Zine packed with dope artwork from cover to cover, with the purchase of each zine you also get some sort of freebie (from pins and stickers to pogs), not too shabby!!!
lub