Fine art will often pave its own way, and it is in the nature of the artist to naturally showcase their creations. In a journal like Existere, submissions are usually suficient, and the art we receive incorporates itself into our pages seemingly of its own accord. Every few issues however, we experience a weakness in our folders: a barren list of submissions or an otherwise unfufilling log. In cases like these, we actively pursue the art we need to continue, and in this experience the journal comes to life.
Previous contributors, fresh contributors, it makes little difference.There is buzzing activity when a journal calls for submissions, especially when done personally. Files fly back and forth, suggestions are made, requests are considered. Even in this age of information where the majority of our work is done online, there is an element of community among writers and editors.
With many publications, a system will eventually dominate the work order, but when a crisis emerges—a lack of content in this case—we bustle out of these protocols to ensure we get the art we need, not just to simply publish the journal this issue, but to make an issue as great (if not greater) than those that have come before it.
And indeed, after the storm is settled, we are left with an issue stronger than it would have been if we effortlessly put it together the way our systems were designed, for there is more to art than procedure. There is strangeness to it, an element that cannot be captured by mere words or paint, let alone a series of steps. Fine art will often pave its own way, but must be pursued, nurtured and then finally, showcased.
Writers in order of appearance:
Pat Tompkins
Beverley Shaw
Joseph Eastburn
Steffi Lang
Kim Venkataraman
Joe Bongiorno
Derek Otsuji
Michael J. Leeb
Carole Glasser Langille
Suzanne O'Connell
Caleb Brasset
Kevin Rabas
Jhon Sanchez
Arif Mirbaghi
Artists in order of appearance:
Juliana Giancola — Portfolio: Nude Series and Meditative Inking Series
Miguel Hemmings — Portfolio: Women of Graphic Power
Izzy Treyvaud — Portfolio: Disconnected Series
Editorial:
Mustapha Safadieh
Reviews in order of appearance:
Review of Julie Cameron Gray's Lady Crawford by Alvin Wong
Review of Jordan Scott's Night & Ox by Evan Hoskins
Review of Kara-Lee MacDonald's Eating Matters by Hajer Mirwali
Review of Michael Helm's After James by Mustapha Safadieh
In Conversation with Michael Helm by Mustapha Safadieh
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