Misplaced Pages

Coagula Art Journal was founded in 1992 by Mat Gleason as a freely distributed contemporary art magazine. Since its inception, the publication remains free as a PDF download, however readers may still obtain a hard copy via "print on demand".

The bi-coastal publication employs tabloid-style commentary, gossip, and reviews of the contemporary art world, which garnered significant influence in being cited in other major publications.

The magazine has been referred to as "the publication that the art world loves to hate, and loves to read" (Village Voice) and dubbed "The National Enquirer of the Art World" (New York Post). It has also been described as having "nothing constructive about it and arguably hurtful."

In 1998, Smart Art Press released Most Art Sucks: Five Years of Coagula.

In 1999, Coagula selected Karen Finley as Artist Of The Decade.

On March 16, 2001, Coagula won a free speech lawsuit, brought against the publication by Brooklyn resident Ms. Sheh Zand. Sheh's 1992 lawsuit was over articles appearing in Coagula issues #3 and #4, and was covered by New York Magazine., and the Boston Globe.

In February 2011, Mat Gleason, founder of Coagula Art Journal, was interviewed by art critic Brian Sherwin for FineArtViews. Gleason stated that Coagula Art Journal was deeply influenced by the writing style of punk zines. He mentioned that Coagula Art Journal will eventually explore internet radio with the launch of CoaguL.A.radio which will provide coverage of the art world. Gleason also stated that “print is dead” and that future releases of Coagula Art Journal will come in the form of a book rather than of a traditional magazine. The interview between Gleason and Sherwin was featured by the Huffington Post.

In April 2012, Gleason launched Coagula Curatorial, a contemporary art gallery on Chinatown's historic Chung King Road. Following the same spirit as the magazine, the gallery has hosted solo shows by contemporary artists such as Karen Finley, Kim Dingle, Gronk, Llyn Foulkes, Sheree Rose and others. The gallery also utilizes guest curators, who have included other prominent artists in Coagula exhibitions such as: John Fleck, Diane Gamboa, Germs, Peter Shelton, Gajin Fujita, Sue de Beer, and others.

The 113th issue of Coagula Art Journal, May 2016, is the largest ever printed in the magazine’s 24 year history at 88 pages. This issue highlights Eric Minh Swenson's documentary photographs of Art Stars – 160 women artists, dealers, and writers in the art scene from New York to California – with an introduction by Mat Gleason.

Contributors (past and present)

• Alan Bamberger
• Jim Caron
• Charlie Finch
• Jeff Gillette
• Mat Gleason
• Gordy Grundy
• Bryan Styble
• Tulsa Kinney

Covers

Coagula has featured interviews and cover stories of such notable artists as Dan Graham, Ad Reinhardt, Gilbert & George, Matthew Barney, Richard Serra, Sue Coe, John Baldessari, Cindy Sherman, and Larry Clark.

Notes

1. DiGiacomo, F & Molloy, J: Page 6, New York Post, August 18, 1992
2. DiGiacomo, F & Anthony, F. & McDarrah, T: Page 6, New York Post, March 11, 1993
3. Johnson, R: Page 6, New York Post, October 28, 1996
4. "New York News - Culture Shocker - page 1". www.villagevoice.com. Archived from the original on 2009-08-07.
5. Robinson, Walter; Patchett, Tom (September 1998). Most art sucks: Five years of Coagula. ISBN 9781889195162.
6. Pike, L: Art Terrorist, Glue Magazine, 51(1):5
7. "The Alf Collection". artnet.com. June 11, 1998. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
8. Landman, Beth; Spiegelman, Ian (8 January 2001). "January 8, 2001 - Nymag". New York Magazine. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
9. "January 8, 2001 - Nymag".
10. "Newsbank search". Archived from the original on 2012-10-20. Retrieved 2009-08-06.
11. "FineArtViews Interview: Mat Gleason -- Art Critic and Founder of Coagula Art Journal by Brian Sherwin", www.faso.com/fineartviews . Retrieved 09 March 2011.
12. "FineArtsViews Interviews Mat Gleason, Art Critic/Founder of Coagula Sherwin", www.huffingtonpost.com . Retrieved 09 March 2011.

References

1. Coagula Art Journal
2. Content. Coagula Art Journal

External links

• Magazine website
• Magazine website
• Editor's Life Unedited

• Visual arts magazines published in the United States
• Free magazines
• Magazines established in 1992
• Magazines published in California
• Downloadable magazines