I can’t be the only one who gets excited when a magazine arrives in the mailbox. It feels like a personal relationship, with the physicality of the paper and the weight of the words. A magazine does, indeed, take up space. There are usually stacks of old magazines lying around my apartment—not just old copies of Juxtapoz, but various design, sports, arts, cultural affairs, anthologies, and travel titles. I don’t mind that they take up space, that they occupy a portion of my home, because that relationship of sharing and making space with words, with art, and ideas is important. Because of this, I’ll always make room for printed matter.
As wars persist and erupt across the world, we consider the power of space, the privilege of having that place we call home. Who gets to claim space? Who gets to tell another they are no longer welcome? In a world grappling with pressing social and political issues, an artist assumes the role of catalyst for change. Activism and art have become inseparable, as creatives shed light on injustice, systemic inequalities, climate crises, and other urgent matters. With care and intent, we addressed the need to honor space in our special Israel-Palestine Podcast at the end of 2023, and there are moments here in this Spring 2024 Quarterly that evoke the importance of beauty and peace in one’s own surroundings. Jameson Green speaks of moving to a farm to find inner and familial peace. Bony Ramirez challenges the notions of home, while Dada Khanyisa often paints the joy in finding a community away from home, and Gretchen Scherer acutely portrays what beauty looks like when discovered within the interior sanctuary of place. And Jean Jullien paints seemingly quiet landscapes and seaside scenes that, though seemingly serene, are actually provocative explorations of the expanse of personal and spatial freedom.
And yes, Juxtapoz looks a little different this Spring Quarterly, and yes, we’ve returned to our original size, but with the addition of more pages, images, artists, and conversations. Partly, we wanted to take up less physical space while expanding what it means to have a place in your life. I was moved by something cover artist Christian Rex van Minnen said in his interview: “Our whole purpose here is to discover that inner magic.” I want that feeling to resonate in 2024, with the words we put into this new format of Juxtapoz, and most importantly, into our complex conversations, participating in a world still searching for a common identity. And we hope you try and honor your own needs, guided by respect for others who want to do the same. —Evan Pricco
Featured artists in SPRING 2024 include Christian Rex van Minnen, Maud Madsen, Jean Jullien, Dada Khanyisa, Jameson Green, Gretchen Scherer, Bony Ramirez, Deng “Demo” Shiqing, Kevin Christy, Von Wolfe, Amalia Angulo, Dani Dazey and Lee Quiñones.
You can purchase the SPRING 2024 Quarterly at Shop.Juxtapoz.com // The new Juxtapoz format is back to its original style, 8.5" x 11" with an increase in content at 160 pages.
