Giovanna Dunmall | October 2008 issue
“Contemporary art is something that helps me make sense of the world,” says Louise Stern, an American artist based in London, England. “But whenever I tried to read something about art, it felt theory-based and not just about how it applies to what you deal with every day.” So she founded Maurice, a magazine designed to use modern art to entertain and interest kids.
Issue No. 1—”Atlas”—is a fun-packed publication teeming with images to cut out (including some by internationally acclaimed Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson), interactive games, thoughtful features on creativity and life and kids’ work. Issue No. 2—“Creatures”—is ready to go as soon as Stern and fellow Maurice-makers Andy Myers and Shiraz Ksaiba get the funds to print the glossy magazine.
Stern and Ksaiba (a photographer) also organize workshops in London’s schools. Sometimes they take kids to exhibitions or bring artists to schools. “The only similarity between each of the workshops,” explains Stern, “is that the kids produce artwork that is used as the content for the magazine.”
Kids are ideal readers because “they don’t have any preconceptions,” says Stern. “They take things as they are and don’t bullshit you. We thought including their work alongside leading contemporary artists’ would be the best way to force ourselves to make something substantial and not veer off.”
For a peek at the magazine, check out mauricemagazine.com, which includes a section called “Who is Maurice?” where anyone can publish images and ideas showing what they envision about the character behind the name.
