The zine is an art form that I see and hear about more and more. Whether it’s sat at Tills, in second hand bookshops, or whispered about in the halls of the ECA, I can never quite escape them, and I’m not mad about it.
Despite this resurgence in popularity, zines have been around for hundreds of years, often used to communicate political agendas or just as helpful instruction books. In the contemporary art world, they became synonymous with the punk movement and were associated with Riot grrrl—an underground feminist punk movement from the 1990s. They have evolved throughout the years, but one thing rings true — there are no rules when it comes to the zine.
If an artist deems their art “a zine,” it is “a zine.” Although they are often small booklets, they take many forms. I’ve seen collaged, stitched, screen-printed, taped, and even burnt zines. They are powered by passion rather than profit and are usually self-published.
Zines hold an incredible power for artists to get their voice heard and are one of the most accessible art forms of the modern day. Because they can be made in small-batches, by hand and on a small scale, they do not cost a lot to produce. This means they don’t cost a lot to buy—sometimes they are free.
I think that zines can be anti-art. The idea isn’t to make perfect books from the most expensive materials — they are handmade and scruffy, and the people love them. This messy and new approach to art-making is tearing down the elitist walls of the art world, appealing to those who feel they can’t afford to make or buy art and telling them they can!
Zines are no stranger to the average art student, and I was lucky enough to chat to Euan about one called Seven Oranges that he runs with fellow illustration students Eliza and Sam. Last semester, I bumped into Eliza, Euan and Sam outside of the main library with a table full of zines and oranges. They said I could have one if I told them a guilty pleasure as inspiration for their next edition. It felt thrilling to trade secrets for art. Euan tells me a little more about Seven Oranges:
“Seven Oranges is an illustration collective, focused on producing free regularly published zines full of art and creativity. Our main goal is to be as interactive as possible, and so all art and content we put out in the world is based on interactions/conversations we had with people on the street. We talk, we sift through the best ideas and then we draw, wrapping it all up in a risographed zine. We also have a mascot who’s on everything we create, called Apple the Orange. He’s an Orange. Our group is called Seven Oranges for no particular reason, we just liked it.”
We just liked it. To me, that phrase sums up the power of the zine. If you have a message to share, you’re passionate about a topic, or you just like something, zines are the perfect creative outlet for you. No rules, no standards, no expectations, just art.
Image credited to “collage & art journal ideas zine” by katie licht is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
