CONTROL Magazine & Stephen Willats

Since the early 1960s, Stephen Willats has situated his pioneering practice at the intersection between art and other disciplines such as cybernetics, advertising systems research, learning theory, communications theory and computer technology. In so doing, he has constructed and developed a collaborative, interactive and participatory practice grounded in the variables of social relationships, settings and physical realities. 

'Ultimately I am interested in the idea that reality is our own construction, that we build it and we create the reality we want in our life. There is not only one way of viewing reality. My work is an open work, based on agreement and open agreement.' Stephen Willats

CONTROL Magazine
Founded in 1965 by Stephen Willats (born 1943), CONTROL was seminal in the establishment and development of conceptual art and remains one of the few artists' publications from the 1960s thriving to this day. The magazine acts as a vehicle for proposals and explanations of art practice between artists seeking to create a meaningful engagement with contemporary society.

Published and edited by Stephen Willats, this pioneering magazine has documented the work of many artists, both from the UK and abroad and encouraged a wide discussion of artists’ practices. It has included contributions and original pieces from an extensive range of artists over its eighteen issues.

Since 1965, the magazine has published work and writing by over 150 artists, including John Latham, Roy Ascot, Anthony Benjamin, Dan Graham, Mary Kelly, Helen Chadwick, Tony Cragg, Dennis Adams, Lawrence Weiner, Anish Kapoor, Martha Rosler, Jeremy Deller, alongside collectives and collaboratives such as Gallerie in Friedrichstrasse, Artists Placement Group and early producer’s galleries such as that of Dieter Hacker. Many of the artists have made artwork specially for the magazine.

CONTROL Magazine’s function has always been to provide a resource for artists to discuss their work and, in particular, to make connections with other disciplines such as social or computer sciences, technology etc. It provides a unique record of a specific area of art practice across the decades and this non-profit making publication has had an acknowledged influence on the practice of artists.