Art and Art History
Artists' Books at LCC Library
Artists' books (or artist books) are a rich area for exploration. Many artists use the book form to create works of art, and some challenge the book form itself as an aesthetic opportunity. We make a lot of assumptions about the shape of books and the ways they are read: artists' books often explore these assumptions in clever, curious, or creative ways. According to the curators at the Lucy Scribner Library, "Unlike an art book, which is a representation of artists’ works and ideas, an artists’ book is itself an original work of art, as visually and conceptually whole as a painting or sculpture.
It can be hard to find examples of artists' books because they are shelved in multiple subject areas: by technique, historical period, artist, or thematic focus.
Here are some simple searches in the LCC Library catalog:
Artists' Books Online
Ode to a Grand Staircase (for Four Hands). Collaboration between Barbara Tetenbaum and Julie Chen, based on a musical composition by Erik Satie.
Several excellent collections of artists' books are accessible online, including:
23 Sandy Gallery Artists Books Online Lively Portland, OR gallery supports book artists through exhibitions, sales and collaboration.
Reed College Digital Collections: Artists' Books Collection of significant 20th century and contemporary artists’ books, featuring examples from Europe, Asia and the United States.
University of Wisconsin Digital Artists' Book Collection An illustrated index to the UW Artists’ Book Collection, with over 800 titles. Approximately 500 examples have images to visually represent the structure and/or content of the book.
Otis College of Art and Design Artists' Book Collection Online collection of over 2000 artists' books focuses on examples from contemporary artists from California and the West coast since the 1960s.
Books of the Heart/Heart of the Books Online exhibit highlights artists' books from the Baylor University Library Books Arts Collection.
Bookmaking Arts
Bookmaking incorporates several distinctive craft areas: paper making, book binding, marbling, calligraphy, gilding, folding, and paper engineering. To find out more about the craft of bookmaking, visit these websites for examples of materials, techniques, and processes.
University of Washington Special Collections Online: Historical Book Arts This exceptional collection showcases the art and history of the book which includes printing, type design and founding, illustration, handmade paper, and book bindings.
The University of Iowa Center for the Book combines training in the technique and artistry of bookmaking with research into the history and culture of books.
Paper Through Time Online exhibit tracing the composition of paper from the 14th through 19th centuries. Very technical, but fascinating!
New York Center for Book Arts CBA explores and cultivates "contemporary aesthetic interpretations of the book as an art object while invigorating traditional artistic practices of the art of the book."
San Francisco Center for the Book Offers resources related to books and bookmaking through history, artistry, and books in our culture.
Book Arts Guild Seattle organization supports the diverse disciplines of the book arts and "dedicated to promoting all hand bookmaking crafts and contemporary book arts."
Book Arts Jam Annual celebration of book arts, print arts, and paper arts. Website includes lots of links to exhibitors, printers, small presses, and book artists.
Guild of Bookworkers A national organization for all things books.