Artist, Sophie Taeuber-Arp (read by curator, Walburga Krupp): It wants to create a connection between the artists of all continents. . . . I’m now busy printing issue 3, devoted entirely to American artists and showing Europe for the first time what they’re doing there.
Curatorial Assistant, Laura Braverman: What's important to keep in mind is that Plastique was published at a time when abstract artists were increasingly under threat from the rise of dictatorial regimes in Europe. Taeuber-Arp was horrified by the Nazis' politics, and she strongly believed in defending abstract art and saw Plastique as a means of keeping the channels of communication open between the different avant-gardes in Europe and the United States. And if you look at the covers, this is something that is actually hinted at with the design. You have “Plastic” written in English and then beneath it, “Plastique” written in French.
Sophie Taeuber-Arp: The ever more difficult struggle for survival in Europe has also caused the opponents of new art to fight ever more fiercely against us.
Laura Braverman: She devoted a lot of energy and attention to the review, corresponding in English, French, and German with its many contributors. She knew almost all of the artists and writers featured in all five issues. And she felt very strongly that the magazine should represent the interests of artists and not those of the art market.