PhotoStatic 33: November 1988

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Cultural Property

The designated title for no. 33 was selected at least six months in advance of the issue’s appearance. As in most other cases in the present series, most contributors struck only glancing blows at the theme. In retrospect, it’s hard to know why the precise phrase “Cultural Property” was chosen, for we certainly intended to explore what’s today called intellectual property. In that light, our thinking from those days is flattered, being so far in advance of the firebrand issue that so divides the internet and media communities of today.

Here as in other issues, a significant series of xerographic collages by the inestimable John Stickney is a memorable part of the collection. Works that deal specifically with plagiarism and copyright also appear by Alte Kinder (Owen O’Toole) and P. Petrisko, Jr. Piotr Szyhalski continues to provide his sophisticated graphic works, and the “Ziggurat” project of Thom Metzger is allowed play in the board game of “Speg.”

Three installments of Thomas Wiloch’s “Codes and Chaos” column deliver conundra to ponder while perusing the rest of the issue. Brad Goins continues to bring an understated sarcasm to his appraisal of 70s porn in “Overlooked Classics.” And Ralph Johnson’s erudite text-improvisation entitled “How to ‘Cash-in’ on your Worries” forms this installment of his “Egregious Obliquity.”

The words of our usual columnists, other contributions by regular contributors, and numerous reviews of printed and audio works occupy other pages in this number.