Come Together: The Rise of Cooperative Art and Design

Francesco Spampinato interviewed forty groups and duos worldwide that are undertaking cooperative arts and designs. His Come Together is a most unusual art book. The premise is that both art and design are better accomplished in groups instead of by individuals. These groups create mostly visual arts, such as architectural and graphic designs, while others are in numerous alternate fields that we accept as creative. Group production is ancient, going back as far as human existence, but its modern form is relatively new and dates back to the mid-1900’s avant-garde movement. Many efforts are quite recent, such as antiglobalization and Occupy! In the introduction, Spampinato clearly explains his methodology. He poses a series of ten questions to each group or duo, and provides their answers under each of the forty sections, including a dozen or so photographs of their artistic accomplishments. Some are straightforward, many are bizarre, and these also apply to their answers. In each group’s title he gives the date of the first activities, location, website, member list, their other activities, and their recommended publication. He also offers a paragraph with a description and achievement of each group. The book is fascinating, and so is the concept.