WET magazine (1970s-80s) started off as a playful ode to bathing culture, but it quickly morphed into a genre-defying celebration of art, music, fashion, and graphic experimentation.
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Rooted in the sun-drenched free-spirited culture of Venice Beach, WET helped define the California New Wave aesthetic and served as an early incubator for what would become the look and feel of postmodern graphic design (some of it very NSFW).
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At once absurd, sensual, and visually daring, WET was the brainchild of Leonard Koren, who used the idea of “bath art” as a metaphor for pleasure, transformation, and creative freedom. The magazine captured the surreal and sensual undercurrents of LA culture, with it distinctly playful, irreverent, and deeply stylish vibe.
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More than just a magazine, WET became a launchpad for visionary artists like David Lynch and Matt Groening, and even left its mark on design institutions like Artforum. One of the contributors to WET was legendary designer April Greiman who merged the bold experimental style of California New Wave with European Modernism. She pioneered the adoption of computer technology by integrating it in her work while hybridizing typography and imagery in a radically innovative way.
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WET’s offbeat editorial voice and avant-garde visuals continue to ripple through the worlds of design and culture today, proving that even a magazine about bathing can spark a creative revolution. It is a reminder that print can be a playground – bold, bizarre, and endlessly influential.
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The Château Cramirat Collection is a treasure trove of art and design by philosopher of science Anna Ravitzki and designer Dan Alexander, housed in a 12th-century Templar landmark in the Valley of Mankind, Périgord, France.
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Koren, Leonard (publisher), Greiman, April (designer). Wet: The Magazine of Gourment Bathing and Beyond. Vol. 4 No. 2, The Religion Issue. Venice, CA: WET Enterprises, Inc., 1979.
