The Social Life of the Book #8 - “Crumpled, rumpled, crappy, tacky, raunchy, unconscious, whatever.”

An artist, a musician, and a publisher based in Brooklyn, NY, James Hoff tells here how books got him into art. He considers the complex and stimulating fabric of anecdotes, gossip, secrets, that are shared around artists’ publications, and, further, the role of printed matter in the building of an artist’s community. The essay pays homage to Edit DeAk through its title, and also comprises some pictures of book covers and LP sleeves from Hoff’s collection.

This installment in the series The Social Life of the Book series was commissioned by Frieze Projects 2015, with additional support from Fluxus Art Projects.