Acne Paper No. 12
The reason I love Acne so much is for their noncommittal, anecdotal and seemingly perfunctory press releases. They are written more like “found” prose that has been peeled off of a steam roller’s wheel. They reaffirm their stance with every published piece they circulate. It’s the ultimate roundtable reflection that is really worth taking the time to read. For Acne Paper No. 12, they’ll be taking a hard look at some youth who would otherwise never have a chance in the limelight; think Billy Elliot, Kieron Williamson and other young virtuosi. A refreshing look at real talent, that leave others in Acne’s wake. See excerpts of the release below.
Like a rebel with a cause, Acne was born 15 years ago to do things differently.
With the motto “Discover how far you can go”, a group of idealistic young friends
in Sweden joined forces to race together in the fashion and media arena. Free of
conventional hierarchy but with a strong involvement in encouraging youths of
different talents, artistic as well as industrious, acne became a platform for young
people from various backgrounds to learn, grow and prosper. Because youthfulness
and its many characteristics has in many ways been the very foundation of our
company, we thought it was about time to dedicate an issue of Acne Paper to the
subject of Youth.
While being young is one thing that most people are pretty good at, it is more
unusual to be exceptionally good at something when you are very young.
People who express great devotion to a creative practice from an early age was
something we found interesting to address, and especially the young who breathe
new life into old artisanal traditions. In a world of commerce, mass production,
fast consuming culture and self-publicity, what does the future hold for fine
arts and crafts? Are we slowly seeing the elimination of artistic skills that once
were the fundaments of cultural life, or are we witnessing a reaction against this
development with a new renaissance for old-world quality and refinement?
To shed light on these questions we have searched for young people from around the
world who reinforce their chosen path with a fresh approach. What is it like being
a young ballet dancer today, or a classical musician, a playwright, or a craftsman?
Through interviews, documentary, photography, portraiture, biography, and
fashion, our new issue celebrates many young talents, and also those who look
upon youth from a creative point of view.
We have tried to broaden this horizon by studying the young from both an
anthropological and scientific perspective. Questions such as how creativity work
in a young versus an elderly mind; what mentors can teach protégés, and vice
versa; what kind of impact our environment and also cultural differences have on
traditions, past and present, all try to find answers throughout the current issue. It
is our biggest edition to date: 256 pages. Within it we hope you will find beauty,
energy, purity, confidence, idealism, creativity, boldness, vision, rebellion, and
all of youth’s many attractive characteristics.