Poorly Planned Honor Racks

About

I can read the paper on sticks at the library. The racks aren’t always organized and the sticks are often left behind on tables. The New York Times is held behind the desk in a locked drawer—I can check it out for up to 1 hour in exchange for my ID. Sometimes I’ll buy the Los Angeles Times on my block at a navy blue honor rack for $1.50. If the honor rack is empty I’ll grab a copy at 7/11.

Newspapers are a little harder to find south of here. I’m not really sure who’s responsible for this. The paper hasn’t always been equally available to everyone. It wasn’t until June 17, 1988 that an ordinance allowing newspaper rack placement at the discretion of the mayor in Ohio was overturned by the United State Supreme Court in a 4-­3 ruling. It cited that the ordinance could potentially be used to penalize newspapers that criticize the local government. [1]

I didn’t move here with all my books but I’m trying to invest in printed text to rebuild my library. I like the convenience of my Kindle but I have to admit, it is a pretty soulless ritual to read fiction, nonfiction, and the news in some font called Caecilia. I tried Baskerville for a while but it’s an in­-house type we use at work so I try to avoid it in my personal space.

Leisure time is important to me. I try to limit my internet use to the office and the studio—I think this makes me more efficient but I find myself cheating (tethering) sometimes. My spaces have different privileges—sometimes technology should be rejected. I like to think that I’m in control of my time or relationship to a larger network. I want to police myself.

BK

Los Angeles, February 2016

1. http://www.nytimes.com/1988/06/18/us/supreme­court­roundup­law­that­allowed­mayor­rule­newspaper­racks-overturned.html[1]

Brian Khek (b.1989 Chicago, IL) lives and works in Los Angeles. He received a BFA with an Emphasis on Art History, Theory, and Criticism from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. His work responds to time, regionalism, and technology. Khek has shown at Gallery Steinsland Berliner (Stockholm, SE), Levy Delval (Brussels, BE), Shoot the Lobster (New York City, NY), and Martos Gallery (Los Angeles, CA). Presentations and panels include the introductory 89plus panel at the DLD—Digital, Life, and Design conference in Munich—held in 2013, organized by Hans Ulrich Obrist and Simon Castets. Another panel conversation in the 89plus series, moderated by K-­Hole, took place at Art Basel Miami Basel 2013. Khek is also a member of the collective Miami­-Dutch.