Established by artists and collectors back in 1994, Juxtapoz is an online arts and culture journal that has remained a genuine champion of the contemporary art world. Made as the absolute opposite of the stuffy, antiquated scene, the San Francisco-based publication promoted and continues to promote artists, genres and galleries that were often neglected.
The online magazine’s staff from in-house in San Francisco has remained vigilant over the years, representing those with incredible potential and whom they believe in, and endeavoring to make art accessible to a worldwide audience. The magazine launched a mission to connect Surrealist traditions of figurative art, contemporary popular culture, psychedelic rock posters, and side show crack banners, Zap comics and EC comic books.
Juxtapoz has enjoyed two decades of online publishing covering several genres; from photography to painting, fashion, design, graffiti to street art. What they have done over the years is ensuring they have artists who have represented each of the specific styles and this is evident in the online magazine.
Why Juxtapoz stands out
Juxtapoz has remained relevant and a significant publication both in print and online for several years. Their success is cultivated by the mix of sharing creative energy to those interested in transforming art into a lifestyle.
They’ve never been comfortable covering one particular style – they continue to broaden their scope by mixing and matching content for art enthusiasts. Each of Juxtapoz’s monthly issues highlights photography, design, fashion, painting, graffiti, museums and current issues. The featured artists also continue to create fascinating and provocative arts.
Readership has also increased especially with the boom of social media. The magazine’s chief editor Evan Pricco acknowledges that the internet has been a game-changer by blending a bunch of creative arts together on the same platform. This includes lowbrow graffiti and street art. Readers also respect the fact that there’s so much going on in the field of art every month and they can also join the print magazine or online and have a piece of it.
The graffiti and street art cultures have grown with the internet over the years and have used the ability to share information through social media. The ability for someone in South America to see their comrade in Paris sharing a mural they saw in the street broadened the magazine’s audience. The works of famous graffiti and street artists like Blu, Conor Harrington, Ericailcane and visual artist Herbert Baglione, just to mention, are now easy to spot and share.
The rise of creative culture has also seen more people becoming interested in art school, design jobs, film, photography and even painting. There are millions who want to attend art fair these days and that translates to a wide fan base. Others want to take street art photos and create Instagram murals. All these fuels the magazine’s readership and Juxtapoz, in turn, tries to inspire their audience with works from various artists.
With a new issue every four weeks, the magazine gives artists the opportunity to create things that they want to create. The big part of it is making art accessible to people who are frightened by institutional art.
