LOOK BACK FEARLESSLY: Well this is awkward. I find myself feeling somewhat distant, somewhat longing yet with a grain of remorse in these present times. There's something frivolous in expounding upon consumer culture, however trendy, exclusive or misunderstood. Is this a means to an end, or does the old adage "all good things come to an end" really hold weight? Without leaving you in the lurch with more questions than answers, suffice to say after three full years Go Figure News will shutter its doors nine weeks from today. Now I'm not asking you to mark your calendars for this rather un-momentous occasion - instead it's a greater time of creative contemplation. A breath. You see, this has been a wonderful, enduring, endearing, learning experience for myself and on behalf of the 66 individuals who have lovingly offered their creative skills to our fledgling zine. But don't count us out yet!
TICK TOCK: Keep in mind that we will continue with two exclusive interviews for Behind The Figure, in-depth reviews, breaking news, exclusives and other mishegas in the many weeks ahead -- and have some exciting coverage of ATM3 (Thailand) and ToyCon UK coming real soon. Expect more....I like the sound of that, how about you? On May 31st, with regrets and wide eyes towards the future, this site will cease daily operations. After June 1, the site will remain available to the public as an archive.
I want to especially thank our former editors Chris, Dan, Lennon, Michael, Richard and Dan for having made their past selfless commitments to creating a vital site, serving a quirky community of collectors, artists, toymakers and those who love them. In these three years we've reached over 160 countries, and think that's quite cool. It proves that art continues to be the universal language.
DECISIONS, DECISIONS: I want to extend thanks to the countless, talented writers and video makers who helped me make this possible. And most of all I want to thank you, the enthusiastic readers, followers, watchers, my friends -- for sticking with us through thick and thin! I've grown a whole new appreciation, respect and understanding for the penchant to collect. As you know creating this publication has been a complete labor of love as advertising was purposefully to a bare minimum, and even our attempt at creating a lil' shop tanked. Making this decision did not come lightly, I made every effort to merge with other like-minded practitioners, etc. Still, I waited patiently for a smart entrepeneur to swoop in and grab the bull by its horns and go tête-à-tête. That said, the return on investment here was never intended to be monetary, and will not be in vain for trying and giving it our fricken damnedest. Time was the test.
FORWARD THINKING: This has not been exclusively a study in endurance, rather a holistic exercise in collaboration and communication, and by extension, a search for community in a developing time of virtuality. What lays ahead for me is a full commitment to my artistic studio practice which has been partially fed, even if subliminally, by this whole process. This magazine has become a full-time job with no salary, no boss, and now it's time to re-invest in me. At times I felt like a ringmaster, at others like an advocate of the underground, and through it have learned the delicate discourse of negotiation within a field that I had a little to no experience previously. I just call it, for a lack of a better term "a den of inequity". ;)
In these three years I'd like to think that our small scratch on the surface brought a certain light (and vernacular) to the world indie toymaking -- as well as some understanding about a world that is definitively an outsider within the realm of typical commercial capitalism. Artists need to stick together. In the end, upon great reflection, I realize that being a physical practitioner is my real personal contribution above all, rather than that of a cultural auteur, an opinionated arbiter of taste. And when I look deeper into that mirror I've come to realize that what I have to give back needs to be reflected both above and below the surface. So after two decades of exploring the English language in relationship to the arts in all its vast forms, this is likely a semi permanent hiatus from waxing poetically in black-and-white. I couldn't have done it alone, in a vacuum. It's been a great run, know this is only the beginning…
Thank you + stay tuned.
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