Jon Gams – Interview from 2008

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Jon Gams – Q+A from 2008 by Liz Riviere

 

Q. How did Hard Press Editions get its start?

In the 1990s, the NEA was gutted and the art world was hung out to
dry. Alternative publishing, especially serious alternative publishing,
took an almost fatal blow. In defiance, friends of mine and I started
the magazine Lingo: a journal of the arts. Its mission was to give
people in the art world a home, exposure, and support. Using our
connections in New York we gathered as much material as possible on
as wide a spectrum as possible. We had close ties to artists and
writers who eventually urged Hard Press to publish books rather than
just the magazine…longer shelf life, larger works. We worked closely
together and in depth so that contributors could trust our intentions
and commitment. Each book was uniquely realized and the process
was truly collaborative in nature. We were breaking new ground, off
the beaten path, and progressive. People knew that they could bring
their work here for a fair reading and a real chance. I work with and
hang out with brilliant people – they may not all be the most stable,
but they are truly alive and care about ideas and care about people by
virtue of what they do. Sometimes I think to myself, “How did I get
here?!”

Q. In 2004, you formed a partnership with Antique Collectors’ Club (also know as ACC Distribution). Why?

For more than 40 years, Antique Collectors’ Club has distributed and published a unique mix of quality titles to an audience that has already demonstrated an interest in fine art.

ACC recognized that they did not have a strong presence in Contemporary art and Art Criticism and a partnership was formed. So, we are giving a wide audience an opportunity to experience and relate the same qualities that they see in Classical Arts, on the level of skill and technique, to Modern Art.

This is a direct connection to the audience we care about and want to
serve. It’s very exciting to have a partner to work with to find new
ways of getting contemporary artists and writers the exposure that
they deserve.

Q. You are concentrating a lot of your efforts recently on Art Criticism. Why?

Critics are deliverers of a message that should kindle interest in the
discourse about art and society. Unfortunately, Art Criticism has been marginalized and brought into question by the monetization of the art market and the loading of museum boards with collectors who have a huge interest in influencing who will be included in a new “Academy”. This commercialization has diluted the meaning and value of art to society-at-large. The last time art itself was a topic of intense discussion was when Art Criticism was a battlefield of ideas rather than what we have now-mere reportage with no education. Many art critics are trying to redefine the roll of criticism and move it back to a more personal, subjective style. They believe in making value judgments and gauging the relative worth of art works and artists. If they are successful art will become more of a merit-driven part of society. This is what art is supposed to be, a qualitative picture of where society is at any given time.