The Art Institute of Chicago

During the 1960s and 1970s artists’ periodicals began to proliferate in the cultural landscape. Periodicals' relatively inexpensive modes of production and easy accessibility provided artists the opportunity to reach their audiences directly, removing the mediation of curators, gallerists, and critics. In this sense, these periodicals acted as alternative exhibition spaces; offering artists the freedom to explore their artistic practice in new and often profound ways. This exhibition highlights some examples of artists’ periodicals that were produced from the 1960s to the present. Unlike most art or art-related journals, these periodicals seek to function as art rather than pure scholarship or documentation of art history, yet they still function as both—in a unique manner.