A Book About Colab (and Related Activities)

An archival history of New York City’s most prolific artist collective, including Jimmy DeSana, Jenny Holzer, Kiki Smith and more.

This book traces the output of Collaborative Projects Inc. (aka Colab), the highly energetic gathering of young downtown New York City artists active from the late 1970s through the mid-1980s. Advocating a form of cultural activism that was purely artist-driven, the group created artworks, curated shows and engaged in discourse that responded to the political themes and predicaments of its time. With extensive documentation of the printed material and media steadily produced in the course of its collaborative undertakings, as well as many firsthand accounts, the book displays the diverse aesthetics and concerns of the group as it embarked on The Real Estate Show, The Times Square Show and other projects.

Edited by Printed Matter’s former executive director Max Schumann, the full-color publication presents a detailed view of Colab—both through the work created and in the artists’ own voices—and represents the fullest account of Colab’s output to date. This second printing comes at a time of renewed and heightened interest in a bygone era of New York City’s vibrant arts culture.

Artists include: Liza Béar, Jimmy DeSana, Jane Dickson, Bradley Eros, Barbara Ess, Coleen Fitzgibbon, Jenny Holzer, Ann Messner, Alan W. Moore, James Nares, Marcia Resnick, Judy Rifka, Christy Rupp, Kiki Smith, Reese Williams, Robin Winters.