Edited by Phil Mariani and Brian Wallis, Wedge was a seminal periodical combining artists’ projects and critical and theoretical writings that ran during the early to mid 1980’s. In this densely packed issue, leading scholars investigate both the political and historical structure, as well as the ideolgy and theoretical basis of post WWII U.S. global imperialism. A series of 12 “documents” provide detailed analysis of the effects of U.S. policy in the Central American wars; as well as the impact of corporate influence on international geo-political affairs. Additional essays examine media, representation, film and architecture in relation to (neo)colonialism and global capitalism. Contributors include Edward Said, Jurgen Habermas, Noam Chomsky, Jonathan Crary, Edward Herman, Gayatri Spivak, Jean-Luc Godard and others. All this amongst artists’ projects for the page by Barbara Kruger, Alan McCollum, Laurie Simmons, and Sylvia Kolbowski. The magazine’s design is by Louise Lawler. What seems instructive for these times is how well the theoretical, cultural and artistic concerns inform, and in turn are informed by the politically specific.
