Nick Thurston on Self-Publishing as Reproduction-as-Production
In a 2012 interview with Louise O’Hare of Publish and Be Damned, artist and editor Nick Thurston discusses the impulse to self-publish, drawing on the exhibition 'Do or DIY' (March–April 2012) at the Whitechapel Gallery, London, where he and fellow iam editors Craig Dworkin, Simon Morris, and Simon Zimmerman were Writers in Residence. The exhibition presented a micro-history of self-publishing, featuring rare editions like Laurence Sterne's Tristram Shandy and a letter from Kathy Acker to Paul Buck. Thurston distinguishes self-publishing from vanity publishing, arguing that self-publishing puts the 'self' at stake through work and responsibility, engaging in reproduction-as-production where compositional drives persist through the entire process. He cites examples such as Sterne's marbled page, which made each copy unique, and Daniel Buren's illegal fly-posting in Bern (1969). Thurston advocates for a discipline of publishing that critiques canonisation and embraces textual dynamism, contrasting with mainstream industry's standardisation. The interview was published by Afterall on 22 August 2012.
Key facts
- Interview published 22 August 2012 by Afterall.
- Louise O’Hare of Publish and Be Damned interviewed Nick Thurston.
- Thurston is an editor of iam, an independent publishing imprint based in York.
- iam editors were Writers in Residence at Whitechapel Gallery, London.
- Exhibition 'Do or DIY' ran March–April 2012 at Whitechapel Gallery.
- Exhibition included rare self-published editions like Sterne's Tristram Shandy and a letter from Kathy Acker to Paul Buck.
- Thurston distinguishes self-publishing from vanity publishing by the 'self' taking responsibility.
- Self-publishing is described as reproduction-as-production, keeping dynamisms alive.
- Example: Sterne oversaw folding and dipping of unique marbled pages for each copy of Tristram Shandy.
- Daniel Buren's 1969 fly-posting in Bern cited as self-publishing as public art.
- Thurston references constraint-based writing practices like Oulipo and Conceptual art.
- Publish and Be Damned is known for its self-publishers' fair at Institute of Contemporary Arts, London.
Entities
Artists
- Nick Thurston
- Louise O’Hare
- Craig Dworkin
- Simon Morris
- Simon Zimmerman
- Laurence Sterne
- Kathy Acker
- Paul Buck
- Daniel Buren
- Alvin Lucier
- Bill Griffiths
- Darren Wershler Henry
Institutions
- Afterall
- Publish and Be Damned
- iam
- Whitechapel Gallery
- Institute of Contemporary Arts, London
- Oxford World Series
- Dis Voir Books
Locations
- London
- York
- Bern
- Switzerland
Sources
- Afterall —