Colophon is an attempt to create an online archive that makes alternative and experimental print media from South Africa available to the world. Independent publications are important cultural vessels, representative of the way that any given society sees itself, and comes to terms with its own cultural identity. Such cultural vessels can contribute to a Zeitgeist, and craft a vernacular. In a few cases, they succeed, assembling seemingly obscure narratives into the mainstream consciousness, merging with popular culture. The mainstream feeds off of the underground and the underground loses momentum in the absence of something to negate or revolt against. And so, a cultural pendulum flow exists that allows any given society to grow and cohere.
The Colophon Collection currently contains complete, or near-complete, printed issues of a number of important art and design publications in an effort to nurture more patronage for counterculture, underground, and independent editorial design, and chronicle a physical, printed record of South Africa’s historic output.
As a collection, Colophon is ongoing and ever-growing. Aiming to be a consolidated online resource containing every important publication that fits the scope and focus of the physical archive. The brief tasked Gilgamesh to produce a complete identity system, packaging and storage material, and a website with a store.
