THE REDACTOR, was launched for ‘The Incidental Person’ at Apexart 2010 in New York.

Antony Hudek on ‘The Incidental Person’.

“The British artist John Latham (1921–2006) coined the expression the “Incidental Person” (IP) to qualify an individual who engages in non-art contexts – industry, politics, education – while avoiding the “for/against”, “you vs. me” disposition typically adopted to resolve differences. The IP, Latham argued, “may be able, given access to matters of public interest ranging from the national economic, through the environmental and departments of the administration to the ethical in social orientation, to ‘put forward answers to questions we have not yet asked’.”… Diagrammatically, the IP transforms the linear, two-dimensional plane of conflict into a three-dimensional, triangular network that fosters the flow of ideas and the interconnections between individual perspectives. Though the IP was Latham’s own term, it was to find practical application within Artist Placement Group, or APG, the “artist consultancy and research organisation” conceived in 1965 by Barbara Steveni and established a year later with Barry Flanagan, Latham and Jeffrey Shaw. (APG’s fluctuating membership would include over the years, among others, Ian Breakwell, Stuart Brisley, Garth Evans, David Hall, Anna Ridley, Rolf and Ros Sachse, as well as industrial and political representatives.) Steveni’s role in negotiating invitations (not commissions) from private corporations, non-profit organizations and governmental bodies was instrumental to APG’s success in placing artists in situations where they would be paid and, more importantly, would enjoy – at least during the placements’ initial feasibility period – complete freedom from any contractual obligation to produce a material outcome (be it an object or a report).”

Antony had worked with members of Office of Experiments whilst both were based at John Lathams Flat Time House between 2007-9. The commission followed the event The WAGER which was staged there. The REDACTOR was a manifestation of the commitment of OOE to the legacy of Latham, and the ‘incidental person’, whilst acknowledging the issues raised in the operations of APG and O+I (Members of OOE have had positions on the board of O+I – formerly APG).

THE REDACTOR is a stamped limited edition publication that features an exclusive interview with leading UK secrecy activist, campaigner and journalistic source, Mike Kenner (whose archive is featured in Dark Places) as well as incidental editorials, news and features from our correspondents in the field – Rich Pell (Nature Correspondent – Center for Post Natural History, US), Steve Rowell (US, Real Estate) and visual features by John Latham and Jenny Holzer.

The Launch issue is a stamped limited edition of 500 only, with free insert, and is produced by Office of Experiments. Design – with Design by Sara de Bondt. If you would like to obtain a copy (unlimited as a PDF from late Jan 2010) please contact us.

For more information see The Incidental Person.