Contra Mundum I - VII

This inaugural volume from Oslo Editions gathers edited transcripts from a series of talks held at the Mandrake, an artist-run bar in Los Angeles, on the theme of ''contra mundum'' or ''against the world.'' Taking its cue from Evelyn Waugh's 1945 novel Brideshead Revisited, the contributors consider the collective potential of (anti)sociality and the possibility of building your own world. Subjects include the furniture of Donald Judd, private issue New Age records, the animal as a subject in Hollywood, self-banishment in Shakespeare, zombie films, pirates and piracy, and Mark E. Smith, legendary vocalist for post-punk band, the Fall. Featuring contributions from artists Rupert Deese, Elad Lassry, Anthony Pearson and Frances Stark, and critics Aaron Kunin, Matthew Taylor Raffety, and Evan Calder Williams.