Mail Art Periodicals - MoMA

displaying one-f-a-kind books, but primarily distributing inexpensive multipleedition
books by artists to libraries and galleries. this is an important step in the
distribution of these important hard-to-fine books, which should be housed in
every visual library dedicated to contemporary art." The publication of "La
Mamelle," noted in "New Periodicals." "Each issue, according to the editor, C. E.
Loeffler, will impart knowledge and understanding upon the culture that was not
there before."
Vol. 4, No. 3 (April 1976). Offset 11"x8 1/2". Pages numbered 76-113. "Letter to
the Editor," by AA Bronson (Canada), "Under your column on artists' books in the
February Newsletter, you note the formation of the Franklin Furnace, a new
bookstore dedicated to the distribution of book-like works by artists. You call it
the 'first in a specialized type of artists' bookstore'./In fact, The Furnace is
modeled after ART METROPLE, a similar organization in Toronto, Canada, and
a member of ARLIS/NA. We were opened to the public in October, 1974. We
began by carrying only books by artists...we have now widened our selection to
multiple works by artists in popular formats (books, records, postcards and
videotapes)...Although we are totally in support of the Franklin Furnace's efforts
and hope to be working with them in the future, I wanted to clarify the fact that
there are other similar organizations in operation and there are likely to be more
in the near future." Notice of an exhibition by Ken Friedman (USA) at the
Slocumb Gallery, East Tennessee State University in Johnson city, Tennessee,
and an accompanying catalog. "Included is an essay on Friedman as well as
chronology, books by Friedman, booklets, pamphlets and monographs, book
publications about Friedman and his biography. Friedman is a member of the
Fluxus Group and has been director f Fluxus West since 1966." Publication by
Richard Mutt (USA) noted in "Artists' Books."
Vol. 4, No. 4/5 (Summer 1976). Offset 11"x8 1/2". Pages numbered 116-152.
Review of "Spatial Poem," by Fluxus artist Mieko Shiomi (Japan), in "Artists'
Books."
Vol. 5, No. 1 (December 1976). Offset 11"x8 1/2". 40 pages. "Glendale isn't in
the boondocks, but sometimes I feel that I really am doing this in complete
isolation. You see, I read lots of newspapers, lots of journals and pick up
information in my travels. You the membership, on the whole, do not seem to
send me in that which is important in your own area, so I dig it out and put it
under one cover...and so we begin our fifth year, hoping not to be bigger (I don't
think my strength can endure if we get bigger) but always better, generating
controversy and comments, as well as a network of communication and
cooperation among al the members of our large art library community..."
"Franklin Furnace Archive, Inc.," by Peter Zabielskis. "We are a public archive for
artists'' books, available as a scholarly research center, or just for casual
browsing. in keeping with the spirit in which these works were originally produced
(i.e. an inexpensive, readily available medium), we are inclusive rather than
exclusive. We are not concerned with books that are 'salable' or popular, but with
preserving examples of all works produced by artists. for this reason, the greater
part of our collection consists of works simply unavailable and unknown through