The eighth issue of Artella is jam-packed with stuff. There’s literally more content in this glossy poetry and art mag than can fit on the pages. Scattered through it are little envelopes and inserts containing a mini-zine, an open-ended story that we’re invited to complete on Artella’s website, some arbitrary scraps of paper and even a CD. These extras are included to make this “dreamland” issue more manic and creative-like a dream. Unfortunately, upon closer inspection Artella turns out to be less creative than manic. The layout is horribly busy. Words and photos seem to be arranged at random on contrasting backgrounds like library cards, crumpled paper or paint chips. This issue is apparently an experiment in “dreamlike” style, but it’s almost unreadable. This is frustrating, because the layout steals emphasis from the poetry and the art that are supposed to be the focus of the issue. However, once I hunkered down to concentrate on the content, zoning out on the crazy design started to seem more appealing than actually reading. The poetry relies on decadent overwriting and clichéd fantasy imagery without really saying anything of interest to me-the writers in Artella would benefit from some friendly editing as most of the work in this issue reads like first drafts from writers’ workshops. The CD is similarly dominated by bland, new-agey flute-and-bird music, melodramatic digital beats, and other unfortunate instrumentals. My patience paid off at the end, though, with five songs by singer-songwriter Serena Matthews. Though she isn’t especially original, Matthews’ quiet folk guitar and childlike voice are remarkably soothing. They no doubt go perfectly with a long candle-lit bath and a chocolate binge. It’s clear that a lot of work went into this issue and Artella in general. I was delighted whenever I turned a page and an insert fell out, or an envelope clung stiffly to the paper. It’s inspiring to see that someone has put her heart and soul into a publication. If founder/editor Marney Makridakis could learn to focus her efforts better, the results might not be so scattered. If she can make the actual content of Artella as exciting as all the “bonus features,” she’ll have a wonderful magazine on her hands. The potential is there, but right now it’s a little schizophrenic. (Evan Dickson)
Glossy litzine, issue 8, Print – $1, Marney K. Makridakis, www.artellaaordsandart.com