Newcity review of "Signs of the Apocalypse / Rapture"

Read the review by Jason Foumberg of Newcity Art below:

You can tell that we’re comfortable with the end of times when the subject gets its own coffee-table book. Front Forty Press has curated, designed and published a hardcover tome featuring artwork from over sixty artists and including two music CDs. The book is divided into the destruction of the world—Apocalypse—and the ethereal bliss that comes after—Rapture. Doomsday is depicted in horror vacui illustrations where debris swells into suffocating masses in work by Andrew Schoultz, Todd Arsenault, Mark Chariker and Joe Vaux, and dystopic landscapes pictured by Jean-Pierre Roy, David Opdyke, Lora Fosberg and Suzy Poling. Rapture, on the other hand, is characterized by Julie Mehretu’s ambient colorscapes, Bill Viola’s weightless dreams, and Doug & Mike Starn’s patchwork vision of Buddha. The Apocalypse CD contains tracks of sustained ambient noise, whereas Rapture is, by comparison, a harmonic savior.

The first essay in the book, by artist Christopher Bucklow, explains the apocalypse as a religious event, but it’s telling that in his introduction, the book’s publisher Doug Fogelson writes, “With the future ever upon us we are at a shameful state of affairs. There are so many real concerns facing humanity right now”—yet the exact date of “right now” is never given. The end of times is a fear adaptable to any time in human history; it is, in essence, timeless. Fogelson is hopeful, though. By getting acquainted with the “signs” of the end, he says, we’ll be able to tune in to the problems, and possibly the solutions.

Still, the broad array of artwork collected in the book is a feast for the eyes. I asked Fogelson if there’s anything odd about enjoying the look of such dark subject matter. “There’s a lot of beauty in the chaos,” he replied. With co-curator Ryanne Baynham, Fogelson created the collector’s edition for the end of times. Sonotheque will host a release party for the book on November 20, and a related exhibition is scheduled at the Hyde Park Art Center in July, 2009. $65 from Front Forty Press.

Published October 27 on http://art.newcity.com/2008/10/27/eye-exam-the-darkside/

F40's recent activity

Front 40 has been keeping busy as we spread out our books at events around the country. In October, we were included in the Chicago Publishers Gallery at the Cultural Center. It was great to see and to discover new publications in our own backyard. There were about 1500 books from 50 area book publishers and 75 periodical publishers–Chicago is holding it down!

We also made it out to Champaign/Urbana for The Next Panel: Illinois Small Press Comic Expo, hosted by our good friends, John Jennings and Damian Duffy. Doug was there to represent for our graphic novel The Hole: Consumer Culture along with other Front Forty publications. The expo commemorated the opening of historic comic arts exhibition “Out of Sequence: Underrepresented Voices in American Comics,” co-curated by Jennings and Duffy. The show is on view at the Krannert Art Museum Oct. 24 through Jan. 4.

Next, Front 40 will be represented at FotoWeek DC 2008. It runs from November 15 to 22 in the nation's capital. Fellow participants include: National Geographic, the Discovery Channel, Epson, the Philips Collection and the Smithsonian Institution. We are very excited to be a part of the diverse group of professionals celebrating the photographic medium at this premier event.

"Signs of the Apocalypse/Rapture" Book Release!

Come help Front Forty Press celebrate the release of our latest title: Signs of the Apocalypse/Rapture with a listening event at "Chicago's most innovative lounge of sound," Sonotheque. Enjoy two live performances and a collection of apocalyptic and rapturous sounds from 21 bands on a world-class sound system, in an acoustically precise room. Mark your calendar for a stirring night of entertainment and socializing!

With live performances by:
Mykel Boyd
Zelienople

DJ set by:
David Castillo

November 20th, 2008/ 9PM-2AM
Sonotheque / 1444 W Chicago Ave.
$5 (free before 10PM) / 21+

F40 Green Activism: Point of Contact

Have you seen these curious "points" around Chicago? They feature some of F40's favorite native local species and are a part of a larger effort to celebrate Chicago's native ecology. Visit our online interactive map to see all the Point of Contact locations and a great selection of nature spots in and around the city!

Caitlin Bauler Joins FFP

F40 is pleased to announce the addition of a new team member–Caitlin Bauler. Trained as a graphic artist, she also has the skill to touch her media be it screen printing, lumetype, watercolour, or tracing paper. Horray for Caitlin!!

Look out for more from this blonde bon.

up for a design challenge?

Threadless loves Drawing,

Front Forty loves Drawing,

Who do you love?

Some of the best designs begin as a simple hand-drawn sketch. It's incredible how random drawings in sketchbooks, on coffee table napkins, or doodled across sticky notes become sweet pieces of art once fleshed out onscreen. Your challenge is to create an amazing tee based on an original drawing. Feel free to explain your process with the submission or take some photos showing how you've created the design. If your design wows the community, it could be your ticket to a wealth of goodies, including a new Wacom Cintiq tablet and a full set of Front Forty Press book’s and CD’s!

Check out the challenge. It starts Aug. 15th and goes thru Sept. 15th, 2008.

Other sponsors include Wacom, Utrecht, Print magazine, and of course Threadless- all providing great prizes and cash to the winners.

Stay tuned- we will blog again when the challenge is over to see the results! Thanks, hope to see you soon.

Early warning!

Front Forty Press will participate in the 4th Annual Printer's Ball, August 22nd at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA). The Printers' Ball is an annual celebration of print literature in Chicago, hosted by Newcity, Poetry, and the MCA, in collaboration with CHIRP, MAKE: A Chicago Literary Magazine, Proximity Magazine, Stop Smiling, Venus Zine, and over 100 local literary organizations. The event showcases a diverse selection of print publications, available free of charge, including magazines, journals, weeklies, posters, and broadsides, plus a full night of live entertainment. The festivities begin at 5:30pm and go until 10:00pm... with some sort of post-ball Front Forty fun sure to be had. For more information, visit The Poetry Foundation's website.

http://poetryfoundation.org/programs/events.html

This event will mark the end of a very full summer for Front Forty... which began with a feature at the City of Chicago's booth in Art Chicago in April as part of their "Chicago in Print" series.

We also had the pleasure of once again participating in the MCA's "Zines, Comics, and Other Hip Lit Fair" this May. Presented by the MCA and Quimby's Bookstore, the Hip Lit Fair is an annual celebration of independent press in all forms, including zines, comics, graphic novels, artist books, and much more.

Big ups to Caitlin Bahler, who represented Front Forty at this year's Printer's Row Book Fair, the Midwest's largest outdoor literary event which took place June 9th and 10th. Thank you to everyone who came out despite the torrential downpour!