64 | 1998

The reason that this issue of CAMERA AUSTRIA has yet again turned out longer than planned is due to the fact that there is more and more to show and report about. A fact that is clearly illustrated by the large number of photographic publications, exhibitions, art fairs and the ever greater number of photographic works on display.
The trade shows last autumn in particular, from Cologne to Vienna, brought us a tremendous amount of new subscribers. This has confirmed us in our resolve to print CAMERA AUSTRIA in four colours throughout from now on. With the aid of cutting-edge printing and reproduction technologies we can now offer our readers even more information, without having to increase the price of the magazine.
As always, this issue of CAMERA AUSTRIA has been created in close collaboration with the artists and authors. Lois Renner, for example, is not only featured with photographic works and an in-depth interview, but has also created the front page especially for this issue. Incidentally, collectors can also purchase this as our fifth Edition for CAMERA AUSTRIA (C-Print on Diasec, 80 cm x 100 cm, copies 8 + 2, price ATS 12,000.– / DM 1,700.– / US$ 1,000.–).
Wolfgang Tillmans and Vlasta Delimar have also contributed freely designed picture sequences to this issue. Although there is no need to introduce Wolfgang Tillmans to our readers, outside her home country the renowned Zagreb-based photo and performance artist Vlasta Delimar is probably only known to insiders – a situation that we would like to remedy by publishing her works in this issue. It is thanks to the artist Andreas Reiter Raabe and his interest in the work of Ed Ruscha that we have been able to remind ourselves and our readers of his seminal writings.
This issue’s FORUM section is almost exclusively made up of works by CAMERA AUSTRIA subscribers, which not only demonstrates the great response of our readers to this section, but also the high quality of the submissions. In this issue we are publishing the INDEX of CAMERA AUSTRIA 50 – 62/63: If you would like to read any past contributions, don’t forget that subscribers get a 50% discount on all available issues.
Readers of CAMERA AUSTRIA are familiar with our open-minded concept of presenting relevant artistic positions. For us, this is always a great challenge, compelling and enabling us to focus on “photography” in the context of key issues concerning the media, aesthetics and social politics, and to examine the myriad aspects of this discipline as a means of artistic expression. Issue 65 (March 1999) is planned to feature contributions by and about Helen Chadwick, Fischli / Weiss, Lois Weinberger, Franz West and others.
The next issue will be the first step into our 20th year. I would like to wish great energy and perseverance to our friends, colleagues and authors, our typesetting, repro, bookbinding, marketing and bookstore partners. Unfortunately, Reinhard Braun concluded his many years as a member of the editorial staff at CAMERA AUSTRIA with the last issue and is planning to devote himself to new tasks. We would like to thank him very warmly for his work. In this time of contemplation, we wish all our readers great enjoyment reading what has yet again turned out to be a very substantial issue of CAMERA AUSTRIA.

Manfred Willmann, December 1998