James Koehnline
Encyclopedia
James Koehnline is a collage
artist whose work has graced many anarchist periodicals & books as well as music CDs; has co-edited a number of books and had his work collected in Magpie Reveries.
Designs and edits the yearly Autonomedia Calendar of Jubilee Saints which is also is the
thematic core for the Daily Bleed Calendar (now online for some 7+ years); currently resides in Seattle, Washington
, worked for some years at Recollection Used Books.
Koehnline has been creating works of art, in various media all his life, largely influenced by his father's passion for surrealism
. He pursued a formal education
at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design
before attending Columbia College
in Chicago. Most recently he studied digital media
at the Art Institute of Seattle
. Meeting at Columbia College, Koehnline gained further direction under the mentoring of collagist, sculptor and host of the weekly radio broadcast
"Art and Artists" (WFMT), Harry Bouras. Koehnline has also been involved in a number of grass roots
political groups
and in 1985, joined several other artists in establishing the collective gallery/studio, Axe Street Arena. Housed in an abandoned Golblatt's department store
in Logan Square
(Chicago), Axe Street members strove, according to Koehnline, to "explore the place where art and politics meet". Koehnline utilized the seemingly unlimited space at Axe Street for delving into a long run of monotype print making
(the press being a gift from Bouras) and crafting his "Chaos Papers." The later being marbled paper
he created with brilliant printing inks in a fashion similar to the Japanese Suminagashi, the volatile inks allowed to drift reactively across vats of water, stirred into swirls and patterns by chemical tensions and earthly vibrations and the subway below. While living and working at Axe Street Arena, Koehnline met Ron Sakolsky
, music critic, anarchist and professor at Sangamon University (Illinois) at the Conference of the Alliance for Cultural Democracy. Years later, in Seattle, the pair edited the book, 'Gone to Croatan: the Origins of North America Drop Out Culture, published by Autonomedia (New York) in 1993, the same year the two set anarchists politics aside, in order that Koehnline could marry, with Sakolsky presiding over, or rather, pronouncing the vows complete. When questioned about why an anarchist would embrace legal matrimony, Koehnline, paraphrasing Wendell Barry, claimed,"I decided to be happy, though I had considered all the facts." Back at Axe Street Arena, Koehnline currated two mail art shows. The first show, "The Haymarket Centennial International Mail Art Exhibition," explored the Haymarket Massacre, labor issues and the history of May Day, with entries from nearly 50 countries. The result was a catalog called, "Panic," which evolved into several issues. Through this event Koehnline became acquainted with Hakim Bey for whom he has created several book covers and came to befriend members of the New York based publishing collective, Autonomedia. Having become involved with mail art projects initiated outside of the collective and falling into zine culture.
Still living and working at Axe Street, emeshed in zine culture, Koehnline took a position as a librarian. The bounty of visual material at his fingertips and the A Reader's Guide to the Underground Press
ready for output, Koehnline became a prolific cut and paste
collagist.
Collage
A collage is a work of formal art, primarily in the visual arts, made from an assemblage of different forms, thus creating a new whole....
artist whose work has graced many anarchist periodicals & books as well as music CDs; has co-edited a number of books and had his work collected in Magpie Reveries.
Designs and edits the yearly Autonomedia Calendar of Jubilee Saints which is also is the
thematic core for the Daily Bleed Calendar (now online for some 7+ years); currently resides in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, worked for some years at Recollection Used Books.
Koehnline has been creating works of art, in various media all his life, largely influenced by his father's passion for surrealism
Surrealism
Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....
. He pursued a formal education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design
Minneapolis College of Art and Design
Minneapolis College of Art and Design is a private, nonprofit four-year and postgraduate college specializing in the visual arts. Located in the Whittier neighborhood of Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, MCAD currently enrolls approximately 1,000 students offering curriculum that includes...
before attending Columbia College
Columbia College Chicago
Columbia College Chicago is one of the largest art colleges in the United States with nearly 12,000 students pursuing degrees within 120 undergraduate and graduate programs...
in Chicago. Most recently he studied digital media
Digital media
Digital media is a form of electronic media where data is stored in digital form. It can refer to the technical aspect of storage and transmission Digital media is a form of electronic media where data is stored in digital (as opposed to analog) form. It can refer to the technical aspect of...
at the Art Institute of Seattle
The Art Institute of Seattle
The Art Institute of Seattle in Seattle, Washington is one of The Art Institutes, a system of more than 40 educational institutions located throughout North America, providing education in design, media arts, fashion and culinary arts...
. Meeting at Columbia College, Koehnline gained further direction under the mentoring of collagist, sculptor and host of the weekly radio broadcast
Radio programming
Radio programming is the Broadcast programming of a Radio format or content that is organized for Commercial broadcasting and Public broadcasting radio stations....
"Art and Artists" (WFMT), Harry Bouras. Koehnline has also been involved in a number of grass roots
Grassroots
A grassroots movement is one driven by the politics of a community. The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it are natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures...
political groups
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
and in 1985, joined several other artists in establishing the collective gallery/studio, Axe Street Arena. Housed in an abandoned Golblatt's department store
Department store
A department store is a retail establishment which satisfies a wide range of the consumer's personal and residential durable goods product needs; and at the same time offering the consumer a choice of multiple merchandise lines, at variable price points, in all product categories...
in Logan Square
Logan Square
Logan Square is the name of:* Logan Square, Chicago – community on the north side of the city* Logan Circle or Logan Square – open-space park**Logan Square, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, adjacent neighborhood...
(Chicago), Axe Street members strove, according to Koehnline, to "explore the place where art and politics meet". Koehnline utilized the seemingly unlimited space at Axe Street for delving into a long run of monotype print making
Printmaking
Printmaking is the process of making artworks by printing, normally on paper. Printmaking normally covers only the process of creating prints with an element of originality, rather than just being a photographic reproduction of a painting. Except in the case of monotyping, the process is capable...
(the press being a gift from Bouras) and crafting his "Chaos Papers." The later being marbled paper
Paper marbling
Paper marbling is a method of aqueous surface design, which can produce patterns similar to smooth marble or other stone. The patterns are the result of color floated on either plain water or a viscous solution known as size, and then carefully transferred to an absorbent surface, such as paper or...
he created with brilliant printing inks in a fashion similar to the Japanese Suminagashi, the volatile inks allowed to drift reactively across vats of water, stirred into swirls and patterns by chemical tensions and earthly vibrations and the subway below. While living and working at Axe Street Arena, Koehnline met Ron Sakolsky
Ron Sakolsky
Ron Sakolsky is a scholar covering the intersection of music, revolution and radio. As of 2005, Sakolsky is Emeritus Professor of Public Policy at the University of Illinois at Springfield, previously known as Sangamon State University. For more than twenty years he taught at the university on...
, music critic, anarchist and professor at Sangamon University (Illinois) at the Conference of the Alliance for Cultural Democracy. Years later, in Seattle, the pair edited the book, 'Gone to Croatan: the Origins of North America Drop Out Culture, published by Autonomedia (New York) in 1993, the same year the two set anarchists politics aside, in order that Koehnline could marry, with Sakolsky presiding over, or rather, pronouncing the vows complete. When questioned about why an anarchist would embrace legal matrimony, Koehnline, paraphrasing Wendell Barry, claimed,"I decided to be happy, though I had considered all the facts." Back at Axe Street Arena, Koehnline currated two mail art shows. The first show, "The Haymarket Centennial International Mail Art Exhibition," explored the Haymarket Massacre, labor issues and the history of May Day, with entries from nearly 50 countries. The result was a catalog called, "Panic," which evolved into several issues. Through this event Koehnline became acquainted with Hakim Bey for whom he has created several book covers and came to befriend members of the New York based publishing collective, Autonomedia. Having become involved with mail art projects initiated outside of the collective and falling into zine culture.
Still living and working at Axe Street, emeshed in zine culture, Koehnline took a position as a librarian. The bounty of visual material at his fingertips and the A Reader's Guide to the Underground Press
A Reader's Guide to the Underground Press
Zine World: A Reader's Guide to the Underground Press is an independent publication which covers independent and underground media. It reviews mostly zines, but also books, comics, newsletters, videos and spoken word recordings...
ready for output, Koehnline became a prolific cut and paste
Cut and paste
In human-computer interaction, cut and paste and copy and paste offer user-interface interaction techniques for transferring text, data, files or objects from a source to a destination. Most ubiquitously, users require the ability to cut and paste sections of plain text...
collagist.
External links
- http://www.koehnline.com/
- Just Say No to the WTO graphics by Seattle artist, James Koehnline
- An interview with James Koehnline