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EP 1: The Radical Italian Avant-Garde 1968-1976

After a 14 month process of research, commencing in 2010, I identified a significant gap in arts publishing: the gulf between light-weight visually driven magazines (the metaphorical ‘single player’), and the in-depth textually dense books and journals by academics (the metaphorical ‘long player’). Hence I chose the title EP (‘extended player’) for the new series. My research underpinning EP includes: the original concept; selecting each volume’s theme; selecting and working with a co-editor; and directing the series through close dialogue with the graphic designers, Experimental Jetset. I remain Editor in Chief and take overall responsibility for the research content and design of each volume, where editing is considered a form of research and practice in its own right. EP1 is devoted to the Italian avant-garde 1968-1976, this being one of the few historical moments with a shared set of concerns across all three disciplines. While re-examining high profile groups like Arte Povera, the aim of EP1 is equally to highlight previously overlooked works generated by collectives like Gruppo 9999. All of the contributions were solely commissioned by myself and co-editor Catharine Rossi. Interviews and essays by historians, curators and critics, including Antonio Negri and Michelangelo Pistoletto shed light on the era under scrutiny, while contemporary practitioners discuss its complex legacy. To date, no other single publication has attempted to bring these factions together. A review of the volume appeared in The New York Times (Alice Rawsthorn, May 26, 2013) and in the Times Literary Supplement (John Foot, 21 June 2013).