La Norda Specialo

La Norda Specialo is an independent art press in Seattle, Washington which focuses on writing by and about visual artists and their friends in the Pacific Northwest. LNS publishes an occasional ’zine available for free at art spaces around the PNW, by mail or pdf. It is a project by Matthew Offenbacher. Sign up for the email list here.

Hi, you might be interested in my new publication, New Archives, a collaboration with Satpreet Kahlon that we started in February 2020. Thanks for visiting! –Matt

Table of Contents

a black and white photograph of a basket with a diamond pattern woven by Sara Siestreem, with a plain background

15 - Restorative and Healing Tactics. Sara Siestreem: “Continuum”, Dåkot-ta Alcantara-Camacho: “Offering on Masculinity”, mario lemafa: “Editor’s Note”, E.T. Russian: “Prescriptions”, Shaw Osha: “Dear Grandaddy” and Amanda Hashagen: “Art for All”. With pictures of sculptures by Esmeralda Hernandez, Rebecca Bell, Charlie White, Camille Jassny, Shalease Anderson and Terry Blankenship. Edited by mario lemafa and Matthew Offenbacher. August 10, 2018. Five double-sided legal-size pages, black ink on white paper, 600 copies. Free copies available by mail or pdf .

a black heart-shaped cartoon face printed on yellow paper that is both smiling and crying, with a plaid background

14 - Teenage experience. Cedar Sigo: “From Becoming Visible”, Akio Takamori: “We Burned a Painting”, Rumi Koshino: “Note from the Editor”, Gretchen Bennett: “You Fucking Chariot”, Colter Jacobsen: “I Don’t Remember” and an excerpt from Chris Buening’s teenage diary. With drawings by Octavio & Cosimo Crisostomo-Dunn + Daren Wilson, Hector Uqalde and Kelis Keil. Edited by Rumi Koshino. January 31, 2017. Four double-sided legal-size pages, purple ink on yellow paper, 500 copies. Free copies by mail or pdf .

13 - Ownership and property. Negarra A. Kudumu: “An Appropriation Assize”, Eleanor Ford on email privacy, Jason Hirata on passwords, Minh Nguyen: “Editor’s note” and Demian DinéYazhi': “Honoring Contemporary Indigenous Artists of Oregon”. With illustrations by Alex Boeschenstein. Edited by Minh Nguyen. October 29, 2016. Two double-sided legal-size pages, black ink on white paper, 475 copies. Free copies by mail or pdf .

A grainy black and white photograph of artist mario lemafa standing in front of a video projection of a google image search

12 - Lyric essays on local arts. Leena Joshi: “On Multiples of Self”, Natalie A. Martínez: “UNA LIRICA HEMISFÉRICA”, Kate Boyd: “Pink Legacies: Paul Rucker’s Birth of a Nation, Michelle Peñaloza: “Eventually, We Will All Flee Towards the Coastline”, Jed Murr: “some notes on preterition (n., countable and uncountable)”, Storme Webber: “in honor of Malcolm’s Smile” and Steven M. Miller: “Note from the Editor”. With photo illustrations of artwork by Mario Lemafa, Rodrigo Valenzuela, Paul Rucker, DK Pan, Julia Freeman and Shabazz Palaces. Edited by Steven M. Miller. March 17, 2016. Four double-sided legal-size pages, black ink on white paper, 420 copies. Free copies by mail or pdf .

A black and white line drawing of a simple platform with various objects on and adjacent to it

11 - Living outside the art world. C. Davida Ingram: “The Ataxic body: or how to write about ego death, when your social body does not exist”, Dan Webb: “Note from the editor”, Rob Rhee: “Xenia”, Barbara Earl Thomas: “Looking for George”, and conversations with Michael O’Malley and D.W. Burnam. With illustrations by Rob Rhee, John Radtke and Barbara Earl Thomas. Edited by Dan Webb. August 1, 2015. Five double-sided legal-size pages, black and orange ink on white paper, 400 copies. Free copies by mail or pdf .

an abstract drawing printed in orange on grey paper that resembles like a map of some kind

10 - The critical organic catalyst Issue, or who’s that brooooown? Davida Ingram: “Lyric & Line, Song & Sign (Hearing is Seeing)”, Shaun Scott: “Golden Ghetto”, R.A.W. “On Adrian Piper’s Cornered”, and Hannah Hong Frelot: “How can we give voice to those whose voices have been silenced before we were born?”, a review of Black Constellation, and conversations with Robert Wade and Jonathan Cunningham. With illustrations by Kelly Björk, Katy Itter, Laura Kinney, Matthew Offenbacher, Andrew Tsai, and David Wall. Edited by Hannah Hong Frelot and designed by Ryan Diaz. March 4, 2013. Three double-sided legal-size pages, orange ink on grey paper, 450 copies. Free copies by mail or pdf .

a grainy photograph of a child with arms spread and a slight smile, printed with green ink on yellow paper

9 - Dahlia Elsayed: “Studio Manual”, Gretchen Bennett: “The Cat Moving Ever Closer”, D.W. Burnam: “Distancing Presence”, Hanneline Røgeberg, Michel de Montaigne: “Why We Cry and Laugh for the Same Thing”, Melanie Noel: “Belong/Exuberance”, Laura Neuman: “Insect Photographs”, Shaw Osha: “This is a Proposition (to speculate without knowing)”, and Dawn Cerny: Concordance. With two photo-collages by Dani Leventhal. Edited by Laura Neuman, Shaw Osha, Dawn Cerny and D.W. Burnam. November 30, 2012. Five double-sided legal-size pages, green ink on yellow paper, 425 copies. Free copies by mail or pdf .

Closed Fist Open Hand - Thirty essays written by Seattle artists about work by Jeffry Mitchell. Edited by Dan Webb and Matthew Offenbacher, with an introduction by Whiting Tennis and design by Jayme Yen. Includes essays by Dawn Cerny, Claire Cowie, Anne Fenton, Claudia Fitch, Alfred Harris, Victoria Haven, Jenny Heishman, Jason Hirata, Harold Hollingsworth, Ken Kelly, Susie Lee, Amanda Manitach, Saya Moriyasu, Nicholas Nyland, Matthew Offenbacher, Shaw Osha, Joseph Park, Mary Ann Peters, Jessica Powers, Tivon Rice, George Rodriquez, Ginny Ruffner, Anthony Sonnenberg, Maki Tamura, Cappy Thomson, Joey Veltkamp, Patti Warishina, Dan Webb and Claude Zervas. November 2012, 144pp. black & white ill., two-color cover, 7 x 5", softbound. Out of print. Read more about the book.

a photograph of a bronze cubist sculpture depicting a distorted knobby head, printed with purple ink on purple paper

8 - Art History Series 1 - Czech Cubism!  Naomi Hume: “Czech Cubism: Modernist Spirituality?”, Gretchen Bennett: “There is a crack in everything”, Pavel Janák: “The usefulness of artistic industry (1911-12)”, Klara Glosova: “Czech Cubism from a vantage point of a blind spot”, Matthew Offenbacher: “Why you should care about Czech Cubism”, and Prizmism by Zara, Nina and Joe Park. With 16 photo illustrations. March, 2012. La Norda Specialo 8. Four double-sided legal-size pages, purple ink on purple paper, 333 copies. Out of print, but you can still get the pdf .

a line drawing of a man with glasses and a beard smiling and holding a wrapper present, in purple ink on grey paper

7 - D.W. Burnam on ‘subjective detumescence,’ Jo Baer: “Radical attitudes to the gallery (1977-1996)”, Matthew Offenbacher: “Power in the Gift Shop”, Brian Murphy talks about masculinity with Leo Berk, Claudia Fitch, Jeffry Mitchell, and Joey Veltkamp, and five haiku by Ilvs Strauss. With drawings by Brian, D.W., Matt, and Kimberly Trowbridge. October 15, 2010. Four double-sided legal-size pages, purple and black ink on white paper, 450 copies. Out of print, but you can still get the pdf .

Special Issue - Margot Quan Knight: “If art falls in a field and no one hears it”, Davidson Burnam and Dawn Cerny: “More. Hall. Annex.”, Claude Zervas: “Noumenism”, Philip Miner: “Missed encounters”, plus an email from Vic Haven and a story by Jenny Zwick. With illustrations by Margot, Dawn, Philip, Vic and Jenny. April 1, 2010. Three double-sided legal-size pages, black ink on grey paper, 333 copies. Free copies by mail or pdf .

a simple line drawing of a shelf with six fu dog sculptures that recede in size from left to right, in black ink on pink paper

6 - Gretchen Bennett and Shaw Osha: “Conversations”, Hollis Frampton: “A Stipulation of Terms from Maternal Hopi”, Nicholas Nyland with Saya Moriyasu, Akio Takamori and Maki Tamura: “A Day in Cathay”, Rebar Niemi: “Heathen Screams into the Fire Punishes Self Moves On”, D.W. Burnam: “Unmediated Melancholy: Debra Baxter’s ‘point of zero preconception’.” With drawings by Nicholas, Rebar, Shaw, Gretchen, Dan Carrillo, and Matt Browning. February 26, 2010. Four double-sided legal-size pages, black ink on pink paper, 500 copies. Out of print, but you can still get the pdf .

5 - Erik Peterson: “In Defense of Painting”, León Ferrari: “Written Painting (1963)”, Leo Saul Berk and Claire Cowie take time to talk, Jenny Heishman: “Do you believe in heaven above, do you believe in love?”, Mary Ann Peters: “The Split (notes on fear and subliminal forces run amuck or tamed)”. With illustrations by Erik, Jenny, León, and Maki Tamura. October 22, 2009. Printed in Seattle, Washington, USA. Three double-sided legal-size pages, black toner on purple paper, 500 copies. Free copies by mail or pdf .

a rough crayon drawing of an abstract inwardly turning oval shape, in black ink on blue paper

4 - Greg Lundgren: “The Waiting Room”, Matthew Offenbacher: “Green Gothic”, Elise Richman: “Nicholas Nyland’s Fall into Color”, Martha Rosler: “Untitled Statement 1971”, Whiting Tennis: “This Head Mechanism”. With illustrations by Matt, Elise, and Dawn Cerny. June 2009. Printed in Seattle, Washington, USA. Three double-sided legal-size pages, black toner on blue paper, 500 copies. Out of print, but you can still get the pdf .

3 - Debra Baxter: “Neutral Nude Part Two”, Jeffry Mitchell: “Thoughts on Roy McMakin’s Purplish”, Joey Veltkamp: “It Began with a Chair ...”, Susan Robb: “Socialites, Scientists, and Big Leather Handbags”, Emily Pothast: “Fleeting Moments in an Infinite Flux”, Jean Tinguely: “Untitled Statement 1961”. With illustrations by Jeffry, Joey, Emily, and Nicholas Nyland. February 2009. Printed in Seattle, Washington, USA. Three double-sided legal-size pages, black toner on green paper, 500 copies. Free copies by mail or pdf .

2 - Dan Webb: “I Public Art”, Heide Hinrichs: “Only There”, Debra Baxter: “Neutral Nude Part One”, Adrian Piper: “Cheap Art Utopia”, Matthew Offenbacher: “Black Fu Dogs”. With illustrations by Dan, Matt, and Heide. September 2008. Printed in Seattle, Washington, USA. Three double-sided legal-size pages, black toner on yellow paper, 333 copies. Free copies by mail or pdf .

a drawing of a christmas tree leaning in front of a decaying stone wall, in black ink on brown paper

1 - Gretchen Bennett: “You and I Have Memories ... / A Philosophy of Street Art”, Robert Smithson: “Cultural Confinement”, Joseph Park: “Spokane Interview”, Matthew Offenbacher: “The Underground Tour”, and Eli Hansen on architecture and pornography. With illustrations by Gretchen, Robert, and Matt. April 2008. Printed in Seattle, Washington, USA. Two double-sided legal-size pages, black toner on brown paper, 333 copies. Out of print, but you can still get the pdf .

Copies by mail

The current and many of the back issues of “La Norda Specialo” are available free in the mail. Send a self-addressed stamped envelope to:

La Norda Specialo
435 11th Ave E # 2
Seattle, Washington
98102

Please include two first-class letter stamps for each issue requested.

Where to find

The current issue of La Norda Specialo can be picked-up free in Seattle, while supplies last, at:  4Culture,  in the lobby of The Alice and Bridge Productions,  the Frye Museum StoreGlass Box Gallery,  the Hedreen Gallery,  near the lockers at the Henry Art Gallerythe Northwest African American MuseumOn the BoardsSEASONSOIL Gallery,  near the front door of X Y Z,  and in Portland, Oregon: at the Cooley Gallery at Reed College and PICA.

Annoucements

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Contributors

Thank-you

In 2012, the publication of Closed Fist Open Hand was generously underwritten by Carol Bennett, Mike and Cathy Casteel, Charlie Kitchings, Bill and Ruth True, and Merrill Wright. In 2010 Artist Trust contributed funds for equipment and supplies through a GAP grant. Issues 4 - 7 were supported by a generous grant from 4Culture. This website is made possible by the sponsorship of Jon Kvistad. Beginning with issue 6, La Norda has been printed on a RISO High Speed Digital Duplicator donated by Sean O’Connell of the Witt Company. The contributing artists have donated substantial amounts of their time, effort and expertise.

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