Kegan McFadden (editor): Yesterday Was Once Tomorrow (Or, A Brick Is A Tool)

Yesterday Was Once Tomorrow is a document of, and writing about, a unique moment in art writing in Canada. During the 1990s, artist-run magazines published criticism, news, and artists’ projects in several cities. YWOT concentrates on six of them: Texts (Calgary, 1989-1993), Flower (Toronto, 1992-1996), Talking Stick First Nations Arts Magazine (Regina, 1993-1994), Boo (Vancouver, 1994-1998), The Harold (Winnipeg, 1995-1997), and Cube (Montreal, 1996-1998). Included are histories, critical essays, indices of the magazines, and a section reproducing 72 of the original covers. Included are French translations of the essays, and a four-colour poster.

Yesterday was Once Tomorrow (or, A Brick is a Tool) first appeared as a touring exhibition which debuted at Plug In ICA (2015), and toured to Artexte (2016) and The Banff Centre (2017). Included, in English and French, is a central essay by curator Kegan McFadden reflecting on his curatorial approach and methodology while the main body of the book operates in a similar manner to the exhibition, consolidating the magazines as content and material. Brief recollections from those involved with each of the six magazines coincide with an index chronicling their output, while covers of every issue are scanned and reproduced for posterity. A prescient essay about the state of art criticism in Canada by Bruce Grenville is re-printed thirty years after it originally appeared, followed by a newly commissioned response from Jeanne Randolph, in addition to artist projects and other poetic excerpts from each of the publications.

$40 CAD

200 pages
with colour poster insert
16.3 cm x 22.9cm
ISBN: 9781927385487

CONTENTS
Introduction by Jenifer Papararo
Foreword by Gwen L. Allen
Anecdotes as Research & Letting Things Die by Kegan McFadden
De l’anecdote comme matériel de recherche, et laisser mourir les choses
par Kegan McFadden
chill by Charles Cousins (Texts, issue 9, 1993)
Memoir of a Texts Gal Friday by Amy Gogarty
Souvenirs d’une fidèle servante de Texts par Amy Gogarty
Texts (Calgary, 1989-1993) Index
This is True to Me by Rob Flack with Ann Dean (Flower “10”, 1993)
Recollections on Flower by Ann Dean
Souvenirs à propos de Flower par Ann Dean
Flower (Toronto, 1992-1996) Index
Circle the Wagons by Marilyn Dumont (Talking Stick, vol. 1 no. 2)
All My Relations by Marjorie Beaucage
Toutes mes relations par Marjorie Beaucage
Talking Stick First Nations Arts Magazine (Regina, 1993-1994) Index
Kathy’s Requiem by Geoffrey Farmer (Boo 11, 1997/98)
Boo Magazine Recollection (English/French)
Boo (Vancouver, 1994-1998) Index
A coordinatorial from Jean LeMaître (Harold, June, 1996)
The Harold by Cliff Eyland
The Plug In Harold par Cliff Eyland
The Harold (Winnipeg, 1995-1997) Index
Pierre Beaudoin and François Dion on Cube [Insert]
Bonjour Madame Sagan by Annie Martin (Cube 3-4, 1997)
Cube (Montréal, 1996-1998) Index
Yesterday was Once Tomorrow, in Covers
Art Criticism in Canada by Bruce Grenville (1986)
Is Ficto-criticism an Invasive Species? by Jeanne Randolph (2016)