Inspiration log: Diagonal Press

About the publishing house

I found Diagonal Press when looking at the LAU Library Artist Book collection, which I've written about here. I found Tauba's work to be very interesting and when I came across the publishing house they run, I had to explore further.

What is written in the 'Mission' page, which is basically their about page, is enlightening for me as it clearly and concisely explains the practice and how it works and is seemingly uncompromising. I like this about them as it is unapologetic, which I really respect for being a small publishing house that creates conceptual work, something that is perhaps commonly approached with a lack of regard in the industry. They state their 'mission', which is like a manifesto, and shows a clear stand with a political current issue. They also seem willing to work with libraries, but are only open to working with a 'very small group of independently run shops' for wholesale. It definitely holds an air of dignity, confidence and poise, which works very well for them and the type of work they produce. 
As follows:

"Est. 2013 Tauba Auerbach

Publications in open editions.
Nothing signed or numbered.

MISSION
-To make art in the form of publications.
-To publish reference materials that support exhibitions, experiments and other people.
-To devise a business structure in which the publications are affordable and their value determined by what one gets out of owning them, rather than from reselling them.
-To exploit the physical possibilities of accessible, consumer-level printing and binding processes, such as comb binding, coil binding, photocopying and rubber stamping, and to use these technologies in inventive ways.
-To carry out production in-house or with small vendors.
-To operate with autonomy and integrity.
-To avoid confusing integrity with aversion to change.
-To participate meaningfully in the present and necessary psychic shift.

A diagonal line is the Z axis in a 2D drawing— the dimension that comes off the plane.

PACBI
Diagonal Press endorses and conducts itself according to the guidelines set out by the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel.

LIBRARY DISCOUNT
The Press offers a discount to libraries that would like to acquire Diagonal Press publications for their collection. Please inquire via email, diagonal@taubaauerbach.com, for more details.

WHOLESALE
The Press works with a very small group of independently run shops to broaden the project's audience. Please inquire via email, diagonal@taubaauerbach.com, for more details.

ITEM LIMIT
Because the Press produces small batches of inventory in-house, orders are limited to three of each item.

RETURNS/EXCHANGES
These are primarily DIY publications— hand-bound, hand-stamped and assembled in the studio. They are irregular by nature. The press does not offer returns or exchanges unless something catastrophic happens during shipping, in which case your item will be replaced."

Works of interest

SIX ROTATIONALLY SYMMETRIC PERIODIC RIBBON ORNAMENTS FOR ARCHITECTURE, 2022
Coil bound book with holes for hanging containing drawings of architectural ornaments.

"This book contains all the rotationally symmetrical linear ornaments that can be made with 5 x 5 units. Each form is paired with its mirror opposite. The pairs are viewed and “lit” from the same angle, casting shadows in the same direction."





SEVEN PERIODIC ORNAMENTS FOR FOUR DIMENSIONAL ARCHITECTURE, 2022
Similar to the above book, this is a coil bound book with holes for hanging containing architectural ornaments.

"This book takes the classic “meander” family of ornaments and extrudes them each in two directions — a technique described in Taxonomy of Periodic Linear Ornament (published by Diagonal Press). Beginning as drawings taking up two dimensions, extruding in two additional dimensions brings them into four dimensions. (...)"





HEAT CURRENT 11, 2025

Accordion fold book with printed wallpaper covers.
"Made after the exhibition TIDE, in which one room was wrapped with two of these photographs (Heat Current 9, Heat Current 10.)"






THERE HAVE BEEN AND WILL BE MANY SAN FRANCISCOS, 2016
Screw post bound, presented in a cardboard box.
"Cut in-house, open edition/all unique (each book is cut and sheared to be a different shape)"