The Center for Book Arts is pleased to present Artist as Publisher, a new exhibition that examines independent art publications produced by contemporary artists and collaboratives.

The work selected for the exhibition embodies a spirit of collaboration, experimentation, and a DIY ethos. Subject matter ranges from political commentary to socially subversive behavior to surreal narratives of personal discovery. The curatorial approach will activate the Center’s artist studio space, with an interventionist approach and innovative display methods.

Each of the artists included have embraced independent publication as a means to bypass the gallery system, to produce new artwork affordably, and to distribute their artwork widely and on their own terms. Participants in the show include Paul McCarthy, Devandra Banhart, and more than 60 other artists.

Organized by Omar Lopez-Chahoud, the Center has been divided into three “reading rooms,” each curated by a separate team with a distinct approach to the concept of independent publishing. These teams are: Diego Fernandez from NY with Rodrigo Salinas (La Nueva Grafica Chilena) who lives and works in Santiago de Chile and here in New York, Felipe Mujica (Galeria Chilena) and Ivan Navarro & Ian Szydlowski (Instituto Divordiado); Rachel Mason from NY in collaboration with John Knuth from Circus Gallery in Los Angeles; and Scott Hug (K48) in collaboration with Billy Miller, both from NY.

“This network of artists cultivates the ground for things to grow without any constraints from the art world,” says Omar Lopez-Chahoud. “In this way, unpredictable situations evolve in unexpected ways.”

Artists in the exhibition include: Dan Acton, Devendra Banhart, Steven Bankhead, BARR (Bredan Fowler), Michael Bauer, Michael Bilsborough, Michael Blum, Brendan Carroll, Daniel Castro, Pablo Castro, Christophe Chemin, Peter Coffin, Reuben Cox, Jeff Davis, Jen DeNike, Juan Pablo Díaz, Sid M. Duenas, Chris Duncan, Christian Egger/Manuel Gorkiewicz/Christian Mayer/Yves Metter/Magda Tothova/Ruth Weismann/Alexander Wolff, Peter Eide, Eighteen-Thirty, Amir H. Fallah, Diego Fernandez, Carl Ferrero, Tony Feyer, Cesar Gabler, Amy Gartrell, Jane Geiser, Mark Golamco, Janine Gordon, Sam Gordon, Billy Grant (of Dearraindrop), Andrew Guenther, Dita Baron Hoeber, Justin Hansch, Thomas Harris, Naotaka Hiro, Matías Iglesis, Scott Hug, Juliet Jacobson, Rose Kallal, Dawn Kasper, Brian Kennon, Lewis Klahr, Kristian Kozul, John Knuth, Rodrigo Lagos, Cristobal Lehyt, Lauren Lavitt, Benjamin Lord, Jill Magid, Rachel Mason, Keith Mayerson, Damon McCarthy, Paul McCarthy, Inger-Lise McMillan, Daniel Mendel-Black, Billy Miller, Felipe Mujica, Ivan Navarro, Mike Nolan, North Drive Press, Perros Negros, Micki Pellerano, Katrin Pesch, PFFR, Kiersten Puusemp, RedmotA (Alexander Esters and Cornelius Quabeck), Tyson Reeder, Christopher Russell, Rodrigo Salinas, Justin Samson, Bill Saylor, Margie Schnibbe, Paul Sepuya, Barbara Sullivan, Hiro Sugiyama, Superm, Ian Szydlowski, Patricia Valencia, Tomás Vega, Jan Wandrag, Julia Weist, David West, Greg Wilken, Grant Worth, among others.