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Dallas-based art publisher K.Co Press is preparing its first specialist title

Dallas-based art publisher K.Co Press is preparing its first specialist title

K.Co Press, a new art book publisher based in Dallas, Texas, will officially launch its first commercial trade publication this fall: Joy Machinea retrospective of the works of Texas sculptor Jeffie Brewer.

The publishing company was originally founded in 2021 in the midst of the pandemic. Stephanie Khattak, publisher and founder of the publishing company, was unemployed and taking road trips with her husband James, a professional photographer. “We drove around and my husband took photos. We thought this would be a really cool book,” Khattak said.

Khattak then self-published a series of books with photographs from across Texas, including Ten Texas Cities and Places in Between: Field Notes from the Back Roads; When brothers agreea compendium of photos of Masonic halls; and Coastlines: The Texas Gulf and the Coast Bend. Khattak later began publishing monographs that included archival works by individual artists taken from the public domain, such as The art of William Morris And The art of Julie de Graag. Other titles focused on regional themes and landscapes, including books on Arkansas, New Mexico and Oklahoma

“After this series of projects, we realized there was a niche to fill in the art book world and we could move toward a more traditional publishing model,” said Khattak. Joy Machinewhich is produced in collaboration with the artist in a limited edition of 500 copies. “We both literally came up with ideas at the kitchen table, and the result is a book that would be completely different without our conversations,” she said.

K.Co Press plans to publish two to three titles per year in the future. Its catalogue will “range from single-subject and single-artist overviews to illustrated books and monographs that provide a detailed insight into an artist or their work,” said Khattak.

Unlike many small presses, K.Co takes a measured approach to distribution. “We’re very small,” Khattak admitted. “To be precise, I’d almost say it’s a micro press.” The press’s size, she explained, required a more targeted strategy: “We focused on selling in regions where (James) already has a gallery presence and a good reputation,” including California, New Mexico and possibly Boston, Massachusetts, in addition to Texas.

K.Co Press also runs a podcast, Call/Response: Writers about art & artists about literatureIt is published twice a month and contains conversations with creatives who find inspiration across disciplines.

“As we join a robust and well-established ecosystem of art book publishers, there are many opportunities to use books to increase the visibility of artists and bring high-quality and engaging art beyond gallery walls and collectors’ spaces,” said Khattak. “K.Co Press’ books are designed to create strong connections between readers and the art that moves them.”

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