GHAVA {Press}

HAVA{Press} was part of Graphic Havoc, a visual agency (shortened to GHAVA) co foundered by Sadek Bazaraa in the 1990's GHAVA with its core team of four creative minds, provided art and creative direction, graphic design, brand identity development, and moving image direction for live action and animation that spanned multiple technologies and media outlets. Their collective worked across a broad spectrum of industries, including consumer electronics, telecommunications, health care, publishing, music, education, finance, retail, and fashion. GHAVA ended in 2014.

GHAVA Press was their Brooklyn based, independent publishing platform for both emerging and established artists. This was their website for a number of years. This page has been created from the site's archived pages as well as outside sources.

Take a nostalgic visit back to when GHAVA Press was active.

GHAVA Press Releases 2002-2009

After gaining 12 years experience creating printed matter for commercial clients, the agency decided to apply its love and understanding of the medium to the publishing of unique, limited edition books featuring select artists

Sadek Bazaraa is a multi-media artist and designer working in the realms of art direction, commercial design and fine art. As one of the founding partners of the seminal direction and design studio GHAVA, Bazaraa has over 18 years experience working within the overlap of art and design on numerous commercial projects for clients such as IBM, Google, Current TV, Nokia, powerHouse Books, Warp Records, and Mtv. Go to his website to see his most current work: sadekbazaraa.com/.

Bazaraa’s recent visual acuity is deeply rooted in esoteric and symbolic form. Drawing from a variety of traditions both ancient and avant-garde, from physics to occult ideologies, Bazaraa’s work often seeks to crystallize those fleeting moments where the mysterious, sacred,and psychedelic merge seamlessly with the sleek deliberateness of modern design.

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GHAVA{Press} Releases

ISBN: 0 9716702 0 x
The Elizabeth Kent Story
GRAPHIC HAVOC
avisualagency
Free Download
Original cost $30.00
5.625" x 7.0"s
PDF - Original: Paperback 2002
130 color pages
Limited edition run: 1,000

Available for the first time ever! We are offering a free digital download of the first book self published by GH avisualagency, formerly Graphic Havoc. The Elizabeth Kent Story was published in 2002 with a limited and numbered run of 1000: SOLD OUT.

Compiled between 1999 and 2002, The Elizabeth Kent Story is a collection of pages, both individual and collaborative, from the members of GH avisualagency. The original book was printed as a limited and hand numbered edition of 1000. The printing was done by The Thomas and Bohannon Printing Company on their 2 color ryobi press (the original book was printed in 6 colors. phew.) We hope that you enjoy this glimpse into our early publishing endeavor.

BIO: GH avisualagency (formerly known as Graphic Havoc) is an artist collective working in design, direction and strategy, based in Brooklyn, NY. Founded in Atlanta, GA in 1994, the group of five artists works within the overlap of art and commerce to explore the collaborative process and its effects on both fine art and commercial projects. Each member pursues his own individual artistic goals then brings that experience to bear on the collaborative projects within the framework of the group.

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2006

Second Place

First Release
Jody Fausett, with forward by Bret Busch
9.5 x 12 inches
Hardback September 2007
120 color pages
Limited edition run: 3000

"J. Penry's work encompasses sexuality, the media, popular culture, and nostalgia, functioning as a reflection of himself and his generation. His sometime pornographic subject matter is almost satirical and is of vital sociological importance."

- Annie Ok, curator

Penry's bold line drawings are unabashed and distinct, vaguely reminiscent of Pettibon, but with a sly whimsy all their own. His artwork for numerous prominent NYC bands, such as Fiery Furnaces, Blood On The Wall, Panthers, and Love As Laughter, as well as his discriminating taste in sportswear, have made him one of the most renown figures of the current creative vanguard. In a fitting collaboration, GHava{Press} has chosen Penry to be the premier entrant in what will be a quarterly series of limited edition, collectible publications that will take an artist-by-artist approach to covering the best of both established and emerging creative talent. BIO: Stephen J. Penry was born in 1977 the year of our Lord. Was raised in the church in a Southern Baptist family. He drew Garfield the cat when he was six, naked ladies at 14 and naked men at 24. J is sexually attracted to confidence, popularity and arrogance. J considers pornography more important than hanging with friends. J has made some pretty good friends despite his predilection for masturbation. J also believes in God because he feels guilty talking to his mother on the phone. J would like to close on a good note. He got miracle tickets to the protest on Saturday and that's awesome because he has not seen Soundgarden in a long time.

SBN: 0 9716702 1 8

Castles and Christians

J. Penry, with forward by Jeffrey Jensen
$24.00
6.625" x 8.875"
Paperback, Gatefolded Cover
September 16, 2006 96 color pages
Limited edition run: 1,200

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2007

GHava{Press} Follow

Castles and Christians special event Jan. 25, 2007

GHava{Press}, Iheart, and Wildcat special event celebrating the release of Castles and Christians by J. Penry. DJs Andy MacLeod and Johnny Rad with special guest performance by Cheeseburger. Thursday, January 25th at Iheart (262 Mott Street between Prince and Houston). Drinks generously provided by Dewars.

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2008

MISSPENT YOUTH OR:WHY I SPENT MY SUMMERS INDOORS

David Merten
$20.00
8.5" x 11.0"
Paperback
August 11, 2008
200 B&W pages

It's an epic meditation on intangibility."
- Patrick Bateman

"It stinks on fucking hot ice."
- Cheech

MISSPENT YOUTH OR: WHY I SPENT MY SUMMERS INDOORS is a collection of 200 re-purposed film stills designed to juxtapose the similarities of very different films.

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Darkening

Randall J Lane
$2.00
7.0" x 8.5"
Photocopied zine
2008
28 B&W pages

 

Darkening is an attempt at a return to immediacy.

After many years obsessing about and carefully laying out pages for book projects as well as over thinking client driven work, Randall felt an urge to create something with as little second guessing and editing as possible. To use a beloved old school independent publishing platform, the zine, as the outlet for some random photographs and doodles.

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2009

analogue

Cameron Martin
Texts by Martha Schwendener & Alexander Dumbadze<
$40.00
7.25 x 9.50 inches
Hardback
April 01, 2009
144 pages
Limited edition run: 1,500
ISBN: 978-0-9716702-3-5

BIO: Cameron Martin is an artist who lives and works in Brooklyn, NY. He has exhibited extensively in the United States, Europe and Japan and has been included in numerous museum exhibitions, including a solo show at the Saint Louis Art Museum in 2006 and the 2004 Whitney Biennial. His work is included in the collections of the Seattle Art Museum, the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Minneapolis Institute of Art, the Saint Louis Art Museum and the Whitney Museum of American Art, among others. He is represented by Greenberg Van Doren Gallery, New York. Purposely overlapping the traditional categories of artist book and monograph, analogue is an amalgam of images that forms a visual account of what motivates artist Cameron Martin’s methodology and production. New York Times art critic Ken Johnson has called Martin’s paintings “cultural signifiers, contemporary icons that stand for deep-running collective urges, like the fantasy of an intimate connection with nature.” The book’s non-hierarchical layout positions appropriated advertisements, travel snapshots, found images and studio pictures alongside reproductions of actual paintings and drawings, providing a complex view of the artist’s thinking about representation of the contemporary landscape. Martha Schwendener’s text comparing the process of writing about art to the act of painting, and Alexander Dumbadze’s essay examining extreme relationships between man and nature in the 60s and 70s, add further germane material to this unusual and remarkable volume.

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I remember analogue very well since I took it with me when I went on a vacation in the Hawaiian Islands with the woman who would become my wife the following year. Not only are the images stunning, but some of the accompanying text is truly compelling. I especially loved Martin's observations concerning the meaning of "nothing" as interpreted by the ancient philosophers, who were able to logically argue both the existence of God as well as the opposite in their scholarly writings. But he also points to Rev Sale's treatise "In Search of Nothing" as a great example of modern thought, an examination of both the ancient and contemporary views on existentialism and beyond. Somehow, discussions regarding the meaning of "nothing" make perfect sense when viewed through the lens of his paintings and discourse. Throughout our vacation in paradise I kept a mental note that continued to remind me of Sale's cutting humor combined with revelation of semantic impotence when confronted with ideas that have intrigued us since the birth of civilization. Maui will do that to you. We spent 2 gorgeous weeks enjoying the amazing white and black sand beaches, snorkeling, watching the sun rise atop the Haleakala Crater with its alien landscape, driving the twisting Hana road and hiking to wild coastline and stunning waterfalls. The memorable photographs and artwork found in the pages of analogue were perfectly suited to enjoy during our Maui stay. They inspired me to take some incredible photographs of my own. So thank you Cameron Martin and GHAVA Press for publishing this book.

 



 

More Background on GHAVAPress.com

GHAVA Press: An Independent Publishing Platform for Emerging and Established Artists Founded in 2006, GHAVA Press emerged as an independent publishing platform dedicated to showcasing the work of both emerging and established artists. This Brooklyn-based imprint has made a name for itself by producing high-quality, limited edition art books and publications that celebrate creativity across various mediums.

 

Origins and History

GHAVA Press was established as an offshoot of Graphic Havoc, a visual agency co-founded by Sadek Bazaraa in the 1990s. Graphic Havoc, often shortened to GHAVA, was known for providing art direction, graphic design, brand identity development, and moving image direction for a diverse range of industries including consumer electronics, telecommunications, healthcare, publishing, music, education, finance, retail, and fashion. After gaining extensive experience in creating printed materials for commercial clients, the agency decided to apply its expertise and passion for print media to publishing unique, limited edition books featuring select artists. This decision led to the birth of GHAVA Press, which operated as the agency's independent publishing arm.

 

Notable Publications

Over the years, GHAVA Press has released several noteworthy publications that have garnered attention in the art world. Some of their most significant releases include:
  1. "Second Place" by Jody Fausett (2007) - This book showcased the dark, mysterious, and deeply personal work of Atlanta-based photographer Jody Fausett.
  2. "Castles and Christians" by J. Penry (2006) - A collection of bold line drawings by artist J. Penry, known for his artwork for prominent NYC bands.
  3. "Analogue" by Cameron Martin (2009) - This book blurred the lines between artist book and monograph, providing a visual account of Cameron Martin's methodology and production.

These publications demonstrate GHAVA Press's commitment to producing high-quality art books that offer unique insights into the creative processes and visions of contemporary artists.

 

Publishing Approach and Philosophy

GHAVA Press has distinguished itself through its approach to art book publishing. The imprint focuses on creating limited edition runs of their books, often numbering between 1,000 to 3,000 copies. This strategy not only ensures the exclusivity of their publications but also allows for a high level of attention to detail in the production process. The press is known for its emphasis on visual quality, often employing sophisticated printing techniques and high-grade materials to produce books that are artworks in themselves. This dedication to craftsmanship has helped GHAVA Press build a reputation for excellence among art book collectors and enthusiasts.

 

Cultural and Social Significance

GHAVA Press has played a significant role in the independent publishing scene, particularly in the realm of art books. By providing a platform for both emerging and established artists, the press has contributed to the diversification of voices and perspectives in the art world. The imprint's focus on limited edition runs and high-quality production values has also helped to preserve the value of physical books in an increasingly digital age. In doing so, GHAVA Press has contributed to ongoing discussions about the future of print media and the importance of tangible art objects.

 

Audience and Reception

GHAVA Press publications have found an audience among art collectors, designers, and those interested in contemporary visual culture. The limited nature of their releases has made their books sought-after items in certain circles, with some publications becoming collector's items. Reviews of GHAVA Press books have generally been positive, with critics praising the quality of the printing and the thoughtful curation of artists and projects. For example, the book "Analogue" by Cameron Martin was noted for its non-hierarchical layout and its ability to provide a complex view of the artist's thinking about representation of contemporary landscapes.

 

Challenges and Evolution

Like many independent publishers, GHAVA Press has likely faced challenges related to distribution, marketing, and financial sustainability. The niche nature of art book publishing, combined with the high production costs associated with limited edition runs, can make it difficult to achieve profitability. However, the press appears to have navigated these challenges by maintaining a focused publishing program and leveraging the reputation and connections of its parent agency, Graphic Havoc. The evolution of GHAVA Press from a commercial design agency offshoot to a respected art book publisher demonstrates the imprint's ability to adapt and find its place in the competitive world of independent publishing.

 

Digital Presence and Adaptation

While GHAVA Press has primarily focused on physical books, the imprint has also had to adapt to the digital age. The press maintains an online presence, which allows them to reach a broader audience and promote their publications to potential buyers around the world. However, the emphasis on high-quality physical books remains central to GHAVA Press's identity. This commitment to tangible, crafted objects sets the imprint apart in an era where many publishers are shifting towards digital-only or print-on-demand models.

 

Collaborations and Partnerships

GHAVA Press has collaborated with a variety of artists, writers, and cultural institutions over the years. These partnerships have allowed the imprint to expand its reach and produce books that offer diverse perspectives on contemporary art and culture. For instance, the book "Analogue" by Cameron Martin included texts by art critics Martha Schwendener and Alexander Dumbadze, demonstrating GHAVA Press's commitment to providing context and critical insight alongside visual art.

 

Impact on Artists' Careers

For many artists, having a book published by GHAVA Press has been a significant milestone in their careers. The high production values and limited edition nature of these publications can lend prestige and increase visibility for emerging artists. Jody Fausett, for example, saw his work featured in GHAVA Press's "Second Place" in 2007. This publication helped to establish Fausett's reputation as a photographer, and his work has since been featured in numerous exhibitions and publications.

 

Future Directions

As the publishing industry continues to evolve, GHAVA Press faces both challenges and opportunities. The ongoing interest in artisanal and limited edition books suggests that there will continue to be a market for the type of high-quality art publications that GHAVA Press produces. However, the press may need to continue adapting its strategies to reach new audiences and remain financially viable. This could involve exploring new formats, collaborating with a wider range of artists and institutions, or finding innovative ways to market and distribute their books.

 

GHAVA Press has established itself as a significant player in the world of independent art book publishing. Through its commitment to high-quality production, thoughtful curation, and support for both emerging and established artists, the imprint has made valuable contributions to contemporary visual culture. As GHAVA Press continues to evolve, it will likely face ongoing challenges related to the changing landscape of publishing and the art world. However, the press's dedication to craftsmanship and its ability to create desirable, limited edition books suggest that it will continue to find an audience among art enthusiasts and collectors. The story of GHAVA Press is not just about a publishing imprint, but about the enduring value of physical books in the digital age, the importance of independent voices in the art world, and the power of high-quality design and production in creating objects that are themselves works of art.

 

GHAVAPress.com