Making the leap

The world around us feels increasingly turbulent. It's hard not to wonder how to keep going and whether where we're headed is worth it. But standing in the unknown has always been part of the creative process. What's changed is the noise surrounding it.

So this week we're highlighting people who've made that leap, releasing work without certainty, but with conviction.

Links

• Ninth Street Women – A history of the overlooked women who shaped modern art. Every scene has its hidden pillars.
• Print's not dead: Berlin magazine editors on why physical objects still matter in a digital era.
• "Artists Speak" survey from Anonymous Was A Woman foundation reveals “an overwhelming 79% agree that their most valuable resource is one another, underscoring the power of collective strength” — in groups we become stronger.

BEHIND THE RELEASE:
A Phone of the Artist as a Young Man

At the tail end of last year, something magical happened—a young writer named Pierce Day from New Zealand published his first-ever work. When Pierce's book arrived in our mailbox, what surprised us was its form—weird, playful, even difficult at times (but in the best ways).

I wanted to show what pure technological embrace looks and feels like to its extreme.

In our conversation, Pierce opens up about overcoming the terror of putting yourself out there and finding artistic freedom through self-publishing. 

FEATURED RELEASES

This week’s featured releases come from Danielle Paterson, a guest curator at Metalabel who who operates at the intersection of art, technology, and anthropology. She advises institutions and private collectors on emerging digital practices. Exploring themes of how we present and preserve ourselves online. Here are releases from our catalog that align with her vision: 

Metalabel Squad, Nine Creative Meditations

Nine Creative Meditations

A series of reflections from my (Yancey’s) creative experiences expressed as a written essay (the A-side) and video essay (the B-side)

Metalabel Squad

In this thoughtful visual essay, Yancey Strickler presents nine reflections on creative practice - from processing information to cultivating meaningful connections. Through a unique video and PDF presentation format, it provides a framework for engaging with ideas beyond the noise of daily digital consumption. An invitation to reflect on how we relate to our creative output, offering practical paths toward a more intentional relationship with our work.

Incidental Container Tote

Incidental Container Tote

Incidental Container is simultaneously a singular artwork and group exhibition conceived and organized by Jason Isolini. Featuring artists: Jake Brush, Courtlin Byrd, Tomi Faison, Sarah Friend, Xavier Mcfarlin, Rebecca Millsop, Zach Nader, Georgica Pettus, and Molly Soda. The IC tote-bag is a unique work derived from the artists’ collaboration.

Incidental Container

This tote is an artifact of a layered artistic transformation. What began as an installation in a self-storage unit evolved through multiple states of being: first captured in 360° video, then developed into a browser-based virtual tour, with the resulting HTML code sublimated onto translucent fabrics that replaced the original artworks in the space. The tote represents the final translation in this chain of materiality and documentation—a portable artifact containing traces of the entire process. 

Inpatient Press, Newsbox Box Set

Inpatient Press Newsbox Box Set

Inpatient Press, founded in 2013, is a publisher of transcendental and transgressive works of poetry, fiction, art, video games, and ephemera. This is a limited edition release collecting some of the press’ most venerable works in a portable newsbox modeled after the actual boxes placed around New York City.

Inpatient Press

A miniature replica of Inpatient's guerrilla newsboxes that have disrupted NYC streets since 2019. This curated fantasy ecosystem brings together their most provocative works—from FBI surveillance documents to gang stalking manga—creating conversations between seemingly disparate materials. The boxset embodies what I love: collaborative projects that challenge traditional distribution while building new contexts for small, powerful works. A physical manifestation of publishing as both art and intervention. Essential for collectors of subversive publishing and alternative histories that challenge dominant narratives.

Network Archives, 001: A Directory of Inspiration

Network Archives 001: A Directory of Inspiration

Network Archives 001: A Directory of Inspiration, is the inaugural drop from the Network Archives label. This release is a curated collection of creative experiments, writings, and reflections by a diverse community of creators, listeners, thinkers and collectors from around the globe drawn together through a love of music.

Network Archives

A beautiful example of knowledge sharing in action, this collaborative release brings together over 35 music-loving creators to make their creative processes accessible. Curated by Jamie Reddington (Sound of Fractures), it's a space where personal insights become collective wisdom. By revealing the thinking behind boundary-pushing music projects, it offers a framework for inspiration and experimentation that expands what's possible. Not just documentation but an invitation to learn from a community of practice built on shared creative values.

Thanks for reading and collecting.

<3
Metalabel