Sang Bleu
Lausanne, Switzerland
Rue St Martin 7, 1003
Email: editorial@sangbleu.com
- Category: Art, Photography, Tattoo
- Periodicity: Bi-Annual
- Language: English / French
- Format: 240 x 330 mm
- Circulation: 8,000 copies
- Price: 44 €
- Web: http://www.sangbleu.com
Founded in 2006
Sang Bleu is born in London in 2006.
Exclusive Interview
Sang Bleu
What is your magazine about?
Pain and beauty.
Who's behind the project? Tell us about the founders, their backgrounds and their motivations!
Sang Bleu is born in London in 2006 but had been an omnipresent idea for years before that. I had moved to London in 2005 after a short stay in Paris where I worked for Self Service magazine. And before of that I had worked in Zürich for NORM, but it just seemed neither Zürich nor Paris were the right places for me and my gestating baby. In London, I worked for a design studio called North design, and for Arena Homme +. I also am, with Ian Party, the founder of B&P Typefoundry.
The idea of Sang Bleu had come naturally from a conjunction of events that occurred in my life since my early 20's and even before. I started studying graphic design, editorial design, typography and Art at the ECAL (art school of Lausanne Switzerland) in 2000. From there I grew a special taste for printed matter and photography. Later, in 2002 (i think) i started getting tattooed. My first tattoo was a back piece by Filip Leu. At the same time I started to get more personally involved in the tattoo culture which also allowed me to notice certain lacks in the panorama of tattoo-related publications. Which seems to be the case anyway for most so-called "underground cultures". So basically, the idea of SB came naturally from a desire for a publication that would approach tattoo, but also other underground cultures from an other angle and would also address the way mainstream cultures as Contemporary Art or fashion use, draw inspiration or recycle them with a real critic sense and not with complacency or despise. In a way, SB, takes things seen as vile and shows what's noble in them.
Besides of that, Sang Bleu is a way for me to cook together all the things I love: Tattoo, Arts, fashion, literature, typography, photography, fetish, etc and to have the opportunity to collaborate with the people I love and look up to.
Basically, Sang Bleu is just a project which represents me totally with all my diverse and sometimes contradictory interests.
How do you produce one issue? How much time do you spend on it? How big is your team?
Sang Bleu is an ongoing project and each issue simply represents a certain moment of my life and all the important people things that it contains. Generally, I've tried to work with people I trusted and who, I thought, were sharing my values and visions, but still would be complementary in some ways. My "team" is mainly composed by (besides me): Jeanne-Salomé Rochat (Arts Editor), Adrian Wilson (London Fashion Director), Lotta Skeletrix & Alban Adam (Fashion Editors), Craig Burton (Photographer).
What have been the important steps in the life of your magazine?
There is nothing I can point out really except some important proofs of trust and support I got from people I looked up to and from friends who showed an amazing love and some financial support as well.
Which are the key ingredients for the success of your magazine?
Trust, love & hard work.
What are the difficulties you are confronted with? What would be the thing to help the magazine to improve?
Sang Bleu doesn't perfectly fit in any pre-existing category, which makes it very hard to find funds for it, be it advertising or other types of sponsoring or subventions. So I would say…money. Although I like the idea that SB is the product of love, not of a financial appeal.
Where do you want the magazine to be in five years?
Hopefully, the magazine will be able to survive by itself financially and/or will have gave birth to other more defined projects such as art shows, books, films, etc.
Tell us about your audience! Who are the readers of your magazine?
It is diverse (see question 6). It is split between people from the tattoo/fetish/body modification culture, people into fashion, people into arts or into graphic design/typography/publishing. But generally, I think (hope), all these people share a passion for beauty and firewalking.
Is remaining independent important to you? Is it part of the strategy?
I very much doubt that any major publishing house would have any interest in such a project so the question doesn't even really occur. Or I guess if it did, it would be the sign that it is not that special anymore and that it would have to evolve towards something else.
What's your relationship with advertisement? Does it influence your content? Do you care about advertising-driven-editorials?
I have only advertised with a few people who had a real understanding of the project and therefore didn't try to modify it. On the contrary, they were happy to blend in. I could compromise a bit if it allowed me to struggle less money-wise, but I am bad at doing what I'm asked to, so I am not afraid I would end up perverting the spirit of SB.
What do you think of your issue 01, when you look back at it?
I am still amazed it actually happened.
Magazine favorite(s) that inspired you in your career.
Re-, the old programs of die Rote Fabrik (a famous club in Zürich) from the 90's, i-D, Self Service, 032c, A, Skin Shows, Editor & Art Director, lots of punk or comics fanzines. I also draw a lot of inspiration from art books and artists' and exhibition catalogues, old type specimens etc. I guess, the printed pieces that have inspired me the most are "Décosterd & Rahm, Physiological Architectures", designed by Norm and the Catalogue of the famous exhibitions "When Attitudes Become Form".
Do you keep old copies of magazines? If so, what is your favorite in your collection?
I am a compulsive collector for books and magazines. (Still I have quite precise criterias, I don't keep for the sake of keeping.) I guess my favourites are my collection are the ones mentioned in the previous question but there also are a lot of little one off or born-dead magazines I cherish.
How many magazines do you buy / get / read each month? Do you qualify yourself a maniac?
Most of the magazines I am after are biannual, but as I type, I just got back from a shopping spree at RD Franks and Artwords bookshop, got for 300£ worth of magazines. I guess even if you consider it happens twice a year that still makes a decent monthly average.
We are compiling answers from some of the most innovative magazine makers around the world today. Who else should we ask?
Alice Bénusiglio (Kaléido) alice@benusiglio.com
Alexis Zavialoff (FTP, Uovo) az@souledhere.com
Super Super, London
Editor & Art Director www.theglossyzine.com
Answered by Maxime Buechi (editor, creative director, fashion editor, editor in chief.)
Magazine: sangbleu
Email: mb@sangbleu.com
Date: 29-09-2008
Staff
Editor in chief: Maxime Buechi...
Arts editor: Jeanne-Salomé Rochat...
London fashion director: Adrian Wilson...
Guest fashion editors: Alban Adam, Lotta Skeletrix...
Photographer & editorial consultants: Maria Trofimova, Craig Burton...
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