Dear Readers,
Yes, this is still Artillery. We’ve got a new look, but we’re still the same on the inside. We feel that our revamped design is more reflective of what we are all about and how we’ve evolved over the last eight years.
We claim that we’re “The Only Art Magazine That’s Fun to Read,” and I still maintain that. People often tell me that they read our magazine cover to cover. How many other art magazines can say  that? The operative word is “read.” Our writers are smart and savvy, with an eye toward the new and experimental, but we skip the academic jargon and seek to demystify art. We’re not interested in what’s already common knowledge … we like to think we’re ahead of the curve, and we don’t kowtow to the flavor of the month.

The art world is so conventional in so many ways—exactly the opposite of how it ought to be. This paradox probably exists as a result of the over-the-top monetization of the art world. It didn’t happen overnight, but the sheer numbers art brings in today are just mind-boggling.

Art imitates life anyone? Artists are supposed to be rebels. But sadly, that’s all changed. Expensive art schools train artists to be careerists and prepare them for a success that is measured in sales. Perhaps that should be the educational role model since it’s the way the art world operates today. Sorry to be so cynical, but that’s reality.

We’re still believers here at Artillery. We don’t have to buy into all that. There’s art out there with meaning. We’re on the lookout for art that actually addresses real issues and is geared toward making a difference in the world.

That’s what our new look is about. It demonstrates our dedication to the arts, but also to beauty, wonderment and engagement —and some things that aren’t so serious. We’ve added higher production values so the art comes across stronger, to complement what our writers are saying. Our columnists tell it like it is: Mary Woronov reflects on art history with her column Retrospect. Doug Harvey ranges far afield for the offbeat in his column, Under the Radar. Skot Armstrong digs up the most arcane videos in recent history with Bunker Vision. John Tottenham drips venomous wit on art-world affectations; Zak Smith fits that category as well. For kicks, there’s our gossip column: They all want to be art stars, so we treat ’em that way. Just ask Eli Broad, everyone loves gossip. And we’ve got comics!

In this issue, to launch our new design, we celebrate Los Angeles. Staff writer Ezrha Jean Black explores the meshing of art and fashion, featuring Sterling Ruby and Raf Simons. Carol Cheh is drawn to the exotic artist Ross Rudel, who runs through Griffith Park buck naked at the midnight hour. Anne Martens exposes Ry Rocklen’s taste for the quotidian. And I interview Linda Vallejo, who wants to paint the world brown.
Kudos to our top-notch designers Bill Smith and Sheryl Scott. They outdid themselves with their keen eye and innovative design, accenting the great art that’s being produced in LA. We like to have fun with the art world, but we also like to acknowledge the great art that’s being made. Yes, we’re still the same Artillery, just a little more spruced up.