Émergent #1
Helmed by Albert Riera Galceran and Reuben Beren James, Émergent is a magazine that attempts to adopt the ideals of a gallery within the printed page, transforming traditional expectations of print.
Émergent marries Galceran and James’ love of fine art with their roots in graphic design; both are currently in their final year of a graphic communication design course at Central Saint Martins. Issue two begins with a bold manifesto; that an artist needs to be explored beyond the ephemerality of the digital space, but should also be made available to the largest number of people possible. Cue the magazine’s format as an affordable gallery and archive, where readers can get closer to the works of both established and emerging painters.
This issue exhibits the works of Faye Wei-Wei, David Quinn, Alex Marco, Clément Mancini, María Tinaut, Ricardo Passaporte, and Michael Wall. All featured artists are given an equal platform; the publication comes shrionk-wrapped with a postcard-sized prints of one of the artists’ works, so that all artists are displayed across multiple covers. For each artist’s section, there is a dedicated introduction, along with a number of their paintings, and an interview. In order to make sure that the artists take centre stage, Galceran and James’ questions are unbolded, whereas the answers are featured in bold print (below).
The magazine is a great initiative for artists, and it has been realised beautifully. Along with giving a curated space to artists beyond the digital sphere and austere gallery settings, it is also a simple and affordable way for readers to connect with the artists and appreciate their works.