Impulse was the premier Canadian art and culture magazine of the 1970s and 80s, a visual and conceptual cornerstone in magazine publishing. During its run, Impulse featured the writings and thought of some of the world's most influential and provocative minds, including Jean Baudrillard, William S. Burroughs, and Paul Virilio, and work by some of the world's foremost artists, among them Patti Smith, Michael Snow, and Joel Peter Witkin. The magazine was experimental, a work of art in itself. Eldon Garnet was the editor and publisher of Impulse from 1975 to 1990, when it ceased publication, and with Impulse Archaeology, he brings the magazine's spirit back to life. The book is an eclectic collection of original and groundbreaking interviews, articles, and artwork that ranges in scope from pieces on Punk rock to early discussions on postmodernism, and that includes contributions from artists, architects, writers, and philosophers. Impulse Archaeology honours this important period in Canadian art and cultural history, recalling the early influence of like-minded publications from New York and the import of French theorists and European artists and writers into North America.
Impulse brought the world into Canada and Canada to the world.