"The Founding and Early Years of Printed Matter"Panel at Judson ChurchFebruary 13, 2015In a special conversation at Judson Memorial Church, Mike Glier, Lucy Lippard, Clive Phillpot, Pat Steir, and Martha Wilson discuss the early history of Printed Matter. Bringing together several PM founders and others closely connected to the organization, the roundtable explores both the founding vision and the more tangible experience of getting the organization off the ground. Moderated by Director Max Schumann. Watch here.

 Collaborative Projects & Printed Matter Inc. Present Art Direct Items for the Home or Office, staple bound, 1983, (Design & Layout: Tom Otterness), cover.A Selection of Printed Matter Catalogs Beginning in 1976 — before there was even a public location— Printed Matter started to produce mail-order catalogs in formats ranging from folded flyers to bound books. Mail order was a critical component of Printed Matter's mission to make experimental art in book form available to the widest possible audience, including those living outside of urban cultural centers. As a whole, the Printed Matter catalogs comprise one of the most extensive bibliographic records of artists' books and reflect the trajectory of contemporary art as it evolved in real-time. View here. 

Printed Matter in The Brooklyn RailIn last month’s issue of The Brooklyn Rail, writer Megan N. Liberty (Editor of the Art Books in Review section) visited the Printed Matter archives to dive into the organization's origin. The long-form piece traces the first meetings at the Franklin Furnace office space on Hudson Street through to the present moment, bringing in many voices of recent PM collaborators. Read here.

 Clockwise from left: NYABF2010, LAABF2016, NYABF2007, NYABF2015, LAABF2017, NYABF2010

In celebration of Printed Matter’s History, above are some images from past Printed Matter’s Art Book Fairs. We also encourage you to explore Printed Matter Fair's poster designs and other content from past years in the Fair Archives here. 

We’d like to thank the amazing 2020 LA Art Book Fair community for sharing new publications, projects, videos, and and virtual tables this past #laabf2020online weekend!! 

Stay tuned as we regularly update the LAABF 2020 website, and make sure to follow the Printed Matter Fairs account on Instagram as we continue to share more incredible new work throughout this month of April!

Early Printed Matter Publications 1976-1977

In addition to being a space for the distribution of artists’ books, Printed Matter has a rich history as a publishing imprint, drawing inspiration from Seth Siegelaub’s International General of the late 60s/early 70s. Early publications included artists' books by Kathy Acker, Guerrilla Art Action Group, Nancy Holt, Douglas Huebler, Ellen Lanyon and Eve Sonneman. The five pictured here are the only titles from the original series that remain in stock—Service: A Trilogy on Colonization by Martha Rosler is a facsimile reprint of the 1978 first edition. View TableRare & Historical Artists' Books and Magazines

This collection includes rare and historical artists’ books published in the years just before and after Printed Matter’s founding. Featured items include issues of alternative artists’ magazines Art-Rite, the Vito Acconci & Bernadette Mayer-edited 0 to 9, and the oversized newsprint format X Magazine from Collaborative Projects (Colab). Additional early works are from Vancouver-based Image Bank collective and Scotland’s Weproductions (Helen Douglas and Telfer Stokes), among other gems. View Table

COVID-19 Resources for Artists, Freelancers, and Independent PublishersPrinted Matter has compiled this list of resources for artists, freelancers, and publishers affected by COVID-19. This includes grant applications, support opportunities, and general resources during this difficult time. Learn More.Printed Matter, Inc.Printed Matter, Inc. is an independent 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded in 1976 by artists and art workers with the mission to foster the appreciation, dissemination, and understanding of artists’ books and other artists’ publications.