Slanted Magazine #35—L.A. | Image courtesy of Slanted
Slanted, a German biannual print magazine, dedicates each issue to the art and design of a particular city or country. For its summer/autumn 2020 release, edited and curated by graphic designer and educator Ian Lynam (Art MFA 04), Los Angeles gets its day in the sun.
This 256-page issue delves into the “staggering awesomeness” of LA, a metropolis that stands in stark contrast to its European counterparts. The issue catalogs what sets LA apart—“the emphasized nonchalance and never ending optimism of everyone, the sunny weather, the ingenious modernist architecture, the film industry”—and how it informs the unique Angeleno aesthetic. CalArts design permeates the issue—three cover variations of the issue were inspired by Ed Ruscha’s (Chouinard 60) Hollywood is a verb.
Featured CalArts alums include: Kali Nikitas (Art MFA 90), Anne Burdick (Art MFA 91), Denise Gonzales Crisp (Art MFA 96), Jens Gehlhaar (Art MFA 97), Brian Roettinger (Art BFA 04), Mark Kulakoff (Art MFA 04), Silas Munro (Art MFA 08), David Karwan (Art MFA 12), Benjamin Woodlock (Art MFA 13), Alex Pines (Art MFA 13), Kat Catmur (Art MFA 14), and Ella Gold (Art MFA 19).
Graphic Design faculty are also among the issue’s contributors: faculty emeritus Ed Fella, Gail Swanlund (Art MFA 92), Mr. Keedy, Michael Worthington, and Lorraine Wild.
The issue, which was released in May 2020, is also accompanied by a series of video interviews with several of the aforementioned designers.
Slanted Magazine #35—L.A. is available for purchase on the official website. A limited special edition set is also available, complete with an enamel pin and notebook.