As you might know, I've moved over from editing the weekly LGBT newspaper MCV to heading up a brand new fortnightly arts and entertainment magazine called CANVAS.
It's both an arts magazine and a gay magazine, but it's not capital G gay. Think of it as an arts magazine with a queer sensibility, if you like, rather than a magazine about gay art. Quite apart from the fact that there's not enough gay art out there to warrant such a narrow focus, my guidelines for the inclusion of anything in CANVAS are about quality, not sexuality. If it's good art, I'm interested.
Two issues of CANVAS have been published to date, and so far the feedback from both the arts sector and the queer community has been extremely positive. The new issue hits the streets this Thursday, so please check it out - especially if you're a fan of contemporary Australian fiction...
And hey, if you run a gallery, or an artist-run initiative, or maybe a theatre company, please please please think about taking out some advertising in CANVAS. I want this new magazine of mine to reflect and support the diversity of Melbourne's creative communities, but to do that I'll need some reciprocal support, you dig?
Creating a brand new publication from the ground up is not exactly a simple task, and certainly I would have liked more time to develop the magazine, to plot and plan its design, its audience and its content; but that said, I have to say I'm pretty bloody happy with the results so far.
You can check out the CANVAS website here; alternatively you can examine each issue page by page, should you prefer, which will not only let you digest the content, but will provide you with a sense of our emerging design template. Things aren't prefect yet - we're still tweaking and exploring and experimenting - but we're getting there.
Issue zero - the teaser issue - can be viewed here; while issue #01 - featuring a special look at the forthcoming Rennie Ellis exhibition at the NGV, as well as an interview with queer American humourist David Sedaris, and a preview of the 2009 MTC season - can be read here. Enjoy!
And of course, feedback about either issue, and expressions of interest from would-be CANVAS freelancers, are always welcome: contact me at richard.watts@eevolution.com.au or via the website.
Comment away!
7 comments:
A big congratulations for getting this endeavor to bed!!
I look forward to its growth with its queer focus a little different from clubs and chubs
Wow, it's wonderful that you stole the name of another magazine from Australia.
So creative.
Ouch. 'Stole'? That makes it sound like it was deliberate. Can I just point out that A) It wasn't deliberate (I mean fuck, I had about an hour to come up with the name); and B) the last time I checked (ie about two minutes ago) there was a Brisvegas fashion magazine called Canvas, the first issue of which came out in October 2006; but it's also the name of the VISCOPY newsletter, which incidentally has been running since at least 2005. Then there's various overseas publications with the same name. Can I ask which Australian magazine you're connected with? I assume you have a connection with one of them, given your waspish tone...?
wow. congrats. cheers to you.
As for the name, I could understand anger if it (deliberately or not) co-opped a distinctive turn of phrase. But canvas used in its general meaning links to art and the reviewing.
It’s a name which makes sense and the publication looks great.
Thanks Anon!
Life has been a little complicated of late and I've been away so I've only just managed to have a look at Canvas online - it's looking good!
Interesting choice of format...square. I'm curious to get hold of a physical copy now.
Presenting the online copies as a gallery is a little naf, but workable I suppose. I'm constantly complaining about there being too much unnecessary PDF out there (what is it with councils and PDF addiction?), but why not PDF?
Guess I'm a little spoilt from reading nós* (Irish mag that started this year) online. They started out online only, so it was a weird looking format until you realized that it perfectly fitted full-screen. They've just put out their first print issue and seem to have moved to a more regular shape. Also no longer downloadable PDF, but still available on the rather slick online mag site issuu. Great site, but too much waiting on my 256K connection.
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