FREE ASSOCIATION MAGAZINE / WILLIS, AMANDA
Free Association Magazine (Free Ass. Mag.) is a Seattle-based, independently-published, biannual anti-architecture/architecture magazine whose content is driven by the desire to create deeper dialogue and engagement between those who design our cities and those who live in our cities. Free Ass. Mag. is a reaction to the insular nature of the architecture community and driven by a frustration with a too often top-down design approach.
The goal for the publication is to collect work from around the world that is inspired by sufficiently-broad yet thoughtfully-controversial themes in architecture in an attempt to unpack wide ranging perceptions from people with little-to-no architectural training. The vision is to foster a meaningful conversation amongst thinkers in order to create better buildings, better cities, and ultimately better communities, targeting a dysfunctional industry in a dysfunctional world.
With every issue, this anti-architecture/architecture zine is in perpetual improvement. Being bigger, better, and more diverse than past issues, #5 is all about "flight" and how the concept has shaped our perceptions and-- well, architecture. From surreal art, to metaphorical photography, to literature, to straight-forward associations with flight, Free Association Magazine #5 is chock full of provocative language and imagery. Free Association is doing what every good publication would do and is "inviting anyone and everybody to add a voice to their conversation", and it shows in their work. By representing many voices, you'll get point of views ranging from what it's like to fly, to the difficulties others have to fly (metaphorically and literally).
A great purchase for anyone seeking thought-provoking art at an actually reasonable price.
You can read the book here.
