Executive Editor's Letter
Photograph: Chris Shepherd; Solair chair courtesy Inabstracto, TorontoIt is my pleasure to welcome you to the first issue of Magenta Magazine Online (or, as we have taken to calling it, ‘MagMag’). Earlier this year, the Magenta Foundation approached me about helping it re-tool and relaunch their print magazine as an online publication. This first issue has truly been a labour of love – of art, good writing and publishing – by me, the team at Magenta and all the contributors who supported the magazine’s reappearance on the art scene. I can not say “thank you” enough for everyone’s encouragement and enthusiasm.
Those who remember Magenta’s print magazine will notice many changes in the online version. The biggest difference is an expanded editorial mandate. Previously, the Foundation’s operations focused solely on the promotion of emerging photographers from Canada, the U.S. and the U.K. The Foundation’s publication of a compendium of Canadian painting last year, however, made us think the magazine could now embrace all forms of visual art. So, while you will find coverage of emerging photography in this issue’s two artist portfolios (a popular feature of the print magazine that we kept), you will also find an insightful interview with Artforum critic Dan Adler about his recent book on the German Conceptual artist Hanne Darboven, an overview of the Fortuny and Pinault Collections in Venice, and reviews of exhibitions in New York, Chicago, Toronto and Birmingham, UK.
We have also created some entirely new sections. Five Notes, which we consider the last ‘page’ of the magazine, will feature a top-five recommendations list compiled by an individual whose writing or work will be appearing in the following issue. Already, this section is fulfilling its promise to lead readers down some interesting paths with Toronto artist Kerri Reid’s fascinating music and book recommendations. Another new regular section is Editors’ Picks. This section features a regularly updated list of exhibitions, publications, websites, and artists’ prints and multiples that the magazine’s editors feel are noteworthy. Visit this section between issues to keep informed of what is showing where and who is doing what. Lastly, the Dateline: Magenta photo feature, which we started rolling out this past summer, brings you the truly fun side of the art scene by documenting art openings, parties, events, and the movers and shakers who make art happen here in Toronto and elsewhere.
We hope you enjoy this first issue of the new Magenta Magazine. We welcome your feedback as we experiment, tweak and fine-tune over the next few issues; share your thoughts with us at info@magentamagazine.com.
— Bill Clarke
P.S. If you're going to be in Toronto on Saturday, September 26, join the Canadian Art Foundation for their annual Gallery Hop. Free talks and tours of Toronto galleries, lead by curators, critics and artists, take place all over the city. I'll be leading a tour of the galleries on Ossington Avenue, and engaging in what is sure to be an entertaining discussion with Berlin-based artist Laura Kikauka at MKG127.
Visit the Gallery Hop website for the full list of events.
