EastofBorneo: Research, Writing, Editing

This is a studio course for students interested in research, writing, and editing. Centered on the ongoing work of EastofBorneo, the online magazine of contemporary art published by the Art School, the class will work in concert with the editorial team to develop and engage research projects. A feature of the magazine is the collaborative archive, in which we collect information and images documenting aspects of artmaking in the Los Angeles region. During the class students will research topics and discuss their relevancy, gather material, write and edit contextualizing texts. During the final weeks of the semester the class final projects will be presented in a charette format, for discussion and evaluation prior to publication. The course will thus offer a hands-on experience, framed by discussion of art research and writing in general, and the workings of EastofBorneo in particular.The course will begin with an analysis of needs, what information EastofBorneo lacks. We will then seek that information, online and in the various archives in Los Angeles, from the CalArts Library to the LA Public Library to the Getty Research Institute, from Los Angeles Contemporary Archive (LACA) to private records kept by artists and smaller institutions. Once identified, materials will be collected and scanned, short introductory texts written. Finally, the completed work will be presented to the EastofBorneo editorial team for discussion, approval and posting.