Aspen Magazine, No. 4: The McLuhan Issue

Title

Aspen Magazine, No. 4: The McLuhan Issue

Subject

Marshall McLuhan; Mass media; Electronic media; Communication theory; Media ecology; 1960s counterculture; Multimedia publishing; Experimental magazines

Description

A multimedia magazine presented in a hinged box featuring nine numbered items including a flexidisc recording of electronic music, fold-out posters, essays, and advertisements. This issue was inspired by Canadian media theorist McLuhan, Marshal and reflects certain themes of his work. The box is illustrated with a circuit board diagram and wraparound text from McLuhan and Fiore's "The Medium is the Massage."

Creator

Johnson, Phyllis (Publisher/Editor); Fiore, Quentin (Designer); McLuhan, Marshall (Featured Subject)

Source

Original issue form the collection of the University of Toronto's Art History Library

Publisher

Roaring Fork Pres (New York, N.Y.)

Date

Spring 1967

Relation

Part of: Aspen Magazine (1965-1971); Related to Fluxus works and works by Marshall McLuhan.

Format

Box with mixed media components: printed materials, flexidisc recording, posters, booklets; Box dimensions: 9.5 x 12 x 0.75 inches

Language

English

Type

Text; Image; Sound; Physical Object

Coverage

Temporal: 1965-1971
Spatial: New York, N.Y. Aspen, CO.

Collection Items

Section 1: Magazine Cover/Box

Hinged cardboard box; Dimensions: 9.5 x 12 x 0.75 inches (24.1 x 30.5 x 1.9 cm); Offset print on cardboard
Section 2: The Medium is the Massage

Large fold-out poster reproducing proof sheets/printing plates from McLuhan and Fiore's book "The Medium is the Massage" (Bantam Books, 1967). Printed in purple/violet ink on both recto and verso on white matte paper. Facsimile of a printer's sheet…
Section 3: The TV Generation

A folded poster combining Steve Schapiro's color photography with written commentary. The front side features full-color photographic imagery while the reverse is printed in black ink. The piece includes written passages from Grace Gluck and Dropper…
Section 4: Diary: How to Improve the World (You Will Only Make Matters Worse)

A fold-out literary work by composer John Cage featuring fragmented observations, philosophical reflections, and cultural commentary arranged through chance operations. The text consists of brief, seemingly disconnected statements and thoughts that…
Section 5: The Electronics of Music

A written essay examining the development and techniques of electronic music composition. The piece explores the technological and artistic dimensions of creating music through electronic means during the mid-1960s. This text serves as a companion…
Section 6: A Sampler of Electronic Music<br /><br /> Side A: In Memoriam Edgar Varèse<br /><br /> Side B: Horn

A 33 1/3 RPM flexidisc recording presenting two contrasting approaches to electronic music composition. Side A features a studio-created magnetic tape piece composed at the Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center, where all sounds were generated…
Section 7: The Braille Trail

A booklet documenting the world's first nature trail specifically designed for visually impaired visitors, located near Independence Pass outside Aspen, Colorado. The publication describes an innovative self-guided trail where visitors navigate using…
Section 8: Psycles<br /><br /> <br /><br /> [Content Warning: Contains historical Nazi imagery and symbols]

Content Warning: This material contains historical Nazi imagery
and symbols that some viewers may find disturbing. The imagery appears in a documentary context depicting 1960s motorcycle club culture and does not represent the views of the…
Section 9: Advertisements

A collection of advertisements and promotional materials housed within a magenta-colored folder. The folder exterior features text presenting Marshall McLuhan's theories on effective advertising, integrating his media philosophy into the presentation…
Loose Advertisements Collection from Aspen Magazine No. 4: The McLuhan Issue


These advertisements were interspersed throughout the issue rather than contained within the designated Advertisements folder. They represent the same consumer culture and luxury lifestyle marketing (spirits, travel/culture) as the contained…

Collection Tree