Willoughby Sharp and Liza Béar founded Avalanche shortly after they met in 1968. At the time, Sharp was a New York-based independent curator and Béar an underground magazine editor who had recently moved to New York from London. They published the first issue in 1970 and collaborated on 13 issues from 1970 to 1976. Avalanche focused on art from the perspective of artists rather than critics, and investigated new forms of art that were developing in the U.S. and Europe with probing interviews, extensive use of photography and dynamic layouts. For many artists, publication in Avalanche preceded a one-person gallery or museum show. Aside from an eight-page news section, the editorial content included only interviews, artists' texts and documents of art and art making. All interviews were conducted by Sharp, Béar or done jointly. Among the featured artists were Vito Acconci, Joseph Beuys, Hanne Darboven, Walter De Maria, Jan Dibbets, Philip Glass, Barry Le Va, Sol LeWitt, Richard Long, Gordon Matta-Clark, Bruce Nauman, Dennis Oppenheim, Yvonne Rainer, Keith Sonnier, Richard Serra, Robert Smithson, William Wegman, Lawrence Weiner and Jackie Winsor. This boxed facsimile edition of Avalanche's complete run reproduces the first eight issues individually, and the final five in a single newsprint paperback.
“Avalanche was a unique media phenomenon in an age that crossed boundaries freely, a cross between a magazine, an artist book and an exhibition space in print.”

Avalanche 1, Fall, 100 pages, b&w, Earth Art, 1970
Avalanche 2, Spring, 140 pages, b&w, Body Works, 1971
Avalanche 3, Fall, 100 pages, b&w, Post-Studio Sculpture, 1971
Avalanche 4, Spring, 100 pages, b&w, Conceptual Art, 1972
Avalanche 5, Summer, 84 pages, b&w, Performance, 1972
Avalanche 6, Fall, 100 pages, b&w, Vito Acconci, 1972
Avalanche 7, Winter/Spring, 84 pages, color, Humor, 1973
Avalanche 8, Summer/Fall, 84 pages, b&w, 1973

Tabloid Newspaper Format:

Avalanche 9, May/June, 36 pages, b&w, Video Performance, 1974
Avalanche 10, December, 52 pages, b&w, 1974
Avalanche 11, Summer, 40 pages, b&w, 1975
Avalanche 12, Winter, 40 pages, b&w, 1975
Avalanche 13, Summer, 48 pages, two-color, 1976

The Avalanche archive is in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.

00002842

It's been too long since I've read this to remember many details, but I remember finding it fascinating and interesting. The pacing was decent and the atmosphere strong. Liked the main character. ( )

[Avalanche] is a survival story aimed at children in about the 10 to 12 age range with a 14 year old hero. Chris has a day off from school and goes cross-country skiing taking his twenty-two along. After bagging some grouse, Chris to decides to go further from home than usual and try to make Hidden Lake further up in the mountains before heading back. On the way he spots a coyote and decides to try for it but this time the crack of the rifle sets off an avalanche burying Chris. The story is about how Chris survived for a week trapped in the snow and it is also about the thinking he did during that time about his relationships with the members of his family.

At the time I was reading this story it rang true and I didn't really notice that it was a bit dated (It was published in 1979.) until I had finished. Some children might take issue with the lack of cell phones, etc. but many would appreciate the old fashioned adventure story and cheer Chris on as he survives another day.

Tricia

[Avalanche] is a survival story aimed at children in about the 10 to 12 age range with a 14 year old hero. Chris has a day off from school and goes cross-country skiing taking his twenty-two along. After bagging some grouse, Chris to decides to go further from home than usual and try to make Hidden Lake further up in the mountains before heading back. On the way he spots a coyote and decides to try for it but this time the crack of the rifle sets off an avalanche burying Chris. The story is about how Chris survived for a week trapped in the snow and it is also about the thinking he did during that time about his relationships with the members of his family.

At the time I was reading this story it rang true and I didn't really notice that it was a bit dated (It was published in 1979.) until I had finished. Some children might take issue with the lack of cell phones, etc. but many would appreciate the old fashioned adventure story and cheer Chris on as he survives another day.