Today is the launch date of Garage magazine. A magazine project that features the collaborations and work of an all star artist hit list. The cover has works by Damien Hirst and John Baldessari, with internal works by Jeff Koons and Dinos Chapman. Focusing around the crossovers of Art, tattoo, and fashion the magazine is the brain child of Dasha Zhukova, a former editor of Pop Magazine (in the UK), and has named the project after the contemporary art center she opened in Moscow in 2008. The project commissioned renowned tattooists Mike Rubendall in New York and Lindsey Carmichael in California, and Mo Coppoletta in London.The NY Times describes the debut issue as "one of the most intriguing magazines to come along in years, it is not entirely clear whether this is a fashion magazine that takes more than a passing interest in art, or an art magazine that knows its stuff about fashion." However many in the art and tattoo industry have commented that the execution and work is lack lustered.
The dialog of art, tattoo, and fashion has been an interesting one in the past few years. I am curious if endeavors like this are in the interest of the craft and work or if it is a platform for those whose work has worn a familiar groove. Either way I am hoping the cross germination of these artists and projects like this will bring some good fruit and not water down one or the other.
