The Thing Quarterly

I generally love the concept of this, and have received a few items that I have liked very much. However, my latest installment was a bottle of syrup. I am not sure how «artistic» the bottle is, or the syrup itself, and it seems like we will use the $ 50 syrup and toss it out. What kind of art is that? Given that I’m fairly new to the subscription I will give it a chance and hope that my next few are more along the lines of the shower curtain or pieces of art that you can actually enjoy for a while in your home.

The Thing can’t save your life, but it can amuse and enthuse you, at least four times a year. I’d call it a subscription, but instead of a magazine or periodical, it’s an object you receive. What happens is this: each year, editors Jonn Herschend and Will Rogan invite interesting and provocative artist types to create an object that somehow incorporates text. It’s then mailed out in a plain brown paper box for you to discover and interpret, or in some cases just display.
Their first issue was by Miranda July, which I understand was an instant hit, and they’ve had Things from the likes of Jonathem Lethem, Tucker Nichols, and this latest installment from oddball and sometimes actor James Franco (
). Dave Eggers is on the way, at least according to my subscription plan.
The coolest «thing» is is that if you live in San Francisco, you can opt to pick up your issue at their office in the Nission! I just did that today, had a nice espresso with John, and we talked about ideas, fame and scarification. They have a bookshelf with past Things for you toe peruse, and while it’s not quite a retail space, I’m sure with some arm twisting a subscription or object can be procured.
If ever there was a crossroads between art and literature, this quite pointedly is it. And all I can say about Issue 14 (the Franco one) is that it’s both cutting and bleeding edge. ‘Nuff said.