Marfa Journal: the arts magazine by a Yekaterinburg native inspired by a Texan town
The Texan town Marfa inspired Gordienko’s graduate project for London’s Central Saint Martins: a publication “created by artists for artists”
6 December 2017
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Liza Premiyak
There might not be any obvious connection between Yekaterinburg and Marfa: one is a city in the heart of Russia’s industrial Ural region, the other is an arts hub sat in the middle of the desert in West Texas. However, both these cities have been a formative influence on Yekaterinburg-born Alexandra Gordienko — stylist, photographer, journalist and founder of cult magazine Marfa Journal. Originally from Yekaterinburg, Gordienko had the idea for the magazine on the open road in the US — the birthplace of many great stories. Marfa, which has become an unlikely pilgrimage site for artists and art fanatics, was one of the towns she visited.
The town inspired her graduate project for London’s Central Saint Martins, a publication “created by artists for artists”. Launched in May 2013, the magazine has featured celebrity and style royalty like Chloe Sevigny, Lindsay Lohan and Pamela Anderson alongside iconic artists like Lynda Benglis, architects, filmmakers, skaters and more. Today, Gordienko is growing her publishing empire with the release of spinoff magazine MARfamily, and a series of art books, starting with A Breath of French Air, or Story of Roseline Moreu. which came out in September.
