Blogs We Love: Juxtapoz

Created in 1994 by a group of artists, Juxtapoz was originally a magazine that sought to help define and celebrate urban alternative and underground art – in a word, ‘lowbrow’. And it certainly followed through on its mission successfully. It rapidly grew to be one of the most popular art magazines in the US. This popularity helped the artists covered in the magazine tremendously as well.

However, it has seen its fair share of change since its inception. While the people behind Juxtapoz continue to publish the much-beloved quarterly magazine, their repertoire has greatly expanded beyond that. Nowadays, rather than a mere magazine, Juxtapoz is more like your one-stop shop for all things art. Expanding the blog’s ‘Departments’ reveals a wide range of art forms, from photography, music, and painting, to fashion and film. This alone speaks volumes of the blog’s growth and reach, especially when you factor in the fact that most of these categories are constantly updated, with multiple articles being released on a daily basis.

“Make it Happen” by Daan Botlek (via juxtapoz.com)

Our mission is to promote authenticity – authentic people and culture. As such, we often end up browsing through Juxtapoz in search of new forms of art, of authentic self-expression. Not only do we constantly find inspiration in these articles, but we are also reminded of just how vast the world is and how many ways there are to send a message through art. Sometimes, as a result of our similar goal of promoting genuine and meaningful ideas, our Spotters even end up covering the same subjects as the people behind Juxtapoz (like this ‘Make it Happen’ concept in Rotterdam! – here’s what our Spotter Maria had to say about it and what Juxtapoz wrote about it)

Sharing a list of our own favorite articles from Juxtapoz would be virtually impossible, as it is an ever-expanding list. However, if there is one article we think you should check out, it’s this one.

This article presents SNIK‘s isolated exhibition, one that took place in an undisclosed location. There is a lot that makes this exhibition special; for one, even if you wanted to, it is not one you could attend by simply purchasing tickets. Dilapidated stone walls, broken windows, and overgrown plants are not things anyone would associate with an art exhibition either, yet here we are. Going against everything one would expect from an art exhibition, SNIK managed to tell a surprisingly deep story in the unlikeliest of places.

Whether you are an artist, or even remotely interested in art (of any form), Juxtapoz is definitely a blog you should keep an eye on!

Fair warning though: You are bound to lose track of time as you scroll through countless interesting articles.