1000 Artists’ Books: Exploring the Book as Art

321 Pages·2012·62.57 MB·English

by  Sandra Salamony

Artists’ Books
EXPLORING
the
BOOK
Artists’ Boas AoRT ks
SANDRA SALAMONY with PETER & DONNA THOMAS
INTRODUCTION 6
–
000111
CODEX BOOKS 8
0354
books with pages
joined to make a spine
–
035555
ACCORDION AND FOLDABLE BOOKS 108
0637
books with
multiple-fold pages
CONTENTS
–
063888
SINGLE-SHEET BOOKS 188
0696
books with
single-sheet pages
–
069777
SCULPTURAL BOOKS 208
IMAGE DIRECTORY 300
1000
books made from objects
DIRECTORY OF ARTISTS 313
and objects made into books
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 320
ABOUT THE AUTHORS 320
6 1,000 ARTISTS’ BOOKS
Introduction
W
HAT IS AN ARTISTS’ BOOK? This question the phrase to describe the genre of art works
does not have a simple answer. Even if it made by book artists.
were only, “What is a book?” the question would In 2010 and 2011, Donna and I traveled
not be any easier to answer. This is because the around the country in our gypsy wagon
word “book” is regularly used to imply both the artists’ bookmobile (20,000 miles, 35 states),
content and the object itself. It is not unusual teaching classes and talking about the book
for a person to say, “I wrote a book,” and by that arts. Between stops, people would often chase
mean they wrote something to be printed in a us down to look inside the gypsy wagon and
book, rather than actually writing the words of find out what we were doing. When we told
a story in a book. And likewise it is not unusual them we were book artists, they would often
for a person to say, “I made a book,” when they get a confused look, so we would explain:
have bound a blank book that has no words or “A book artist is a person who makes books
images inside. The concept of ‘bookness’ is not as their form of artistic expression, and an
as simple as it may seem. artists’ book is the creation of a book artist.
When the word “artist” is added to the word A book artist makes books like a painter makes
“book,” the result becomes even more complex. paintings.” Though simplistic, this answer often
What is art? The question has been argued, helped them understand that an artists’ book
discussed and dissected for centuries. As with is a work of art and not simply a means of
book, the definition of art changes and often conveying information.
RY depends on whether the process or the prod- I often used the gypsy wagon as a metaphor
ALLE uct is being considered. For example, cooking for the artist’s book, saying, “when a person
G
AN can be an art, but the meal created might not be looks inside a regular RV what do they think?
GOSI a work of art. Usually nothing special, or something like,
A
G
RTESY termI t“ awrtaiss tns’o bt ouonktsil” tchree pmt iidn-t1o9 8c0osm tmhaotn t hues a ge ‘wHaogwon p trhacetyi cgaelt.’ Bexuct iwtehde, ncu preiooupsl,e a nsede s ooumr egtyhpinsgy
U
CO as a way to describe books made by artists. magical happens. Commercially produced books
A.
CH Before that the term was more commonly used are like regular RVs: practical and full of informa-
RUS to describe the livre d’artiste, books created tion. Artists’ books are like our gypsy wagon:
D
©E by a publisher to pair illustrations by famous they inspire imagination and wonder and share
artists with well-known texts. In the same something of the artist who created them.”
Ruscha’s “Twentysix way that the first cars were called “horseless How does one know if a work of art is an
Gasoline Stations” (1963) carriages,” the phrase “artists’ books” described artists’ book or only a 3-D painting or a sculp-
is one of the earliest both medium and product in terms of objects ture? What are the physical and conceptual
examples of a modern that already existed. There may be a better attributes that define an artists’ book? Generally,
book conceived as an art name, but so far there is no agreement on what if an object has book-like qualities recognizable
work. ©ED RUSCHA. COURTESY it might be. But there is agreement to use an by either the maker or the viewer, then it is
GAGOSIAN GALLERY apostrophe and place it after the “s,” claiming fair to call it an artists’ book. Some people get
7
caught up trying to decide if a work of art is, or puters and e-books taking the place of physical
is not, an artists’ book. I find it more interesting books and running us out of a job. I’m not wor-
to discover what the book-like qualities are by ried. This is an exciting time to be involved in
asking questions such as: “Where on the scale of the book arts. Since the invention of the print-
object to information does it fit?” ing press, the book as a medium for the artist
An artists’ book with pages that can be has been encumbered by function. Today, in the
turned is a sequential art form that goes beyond same way that photography set painting free,
the ordinary three dimensions of other sculp- the personal computer has released the book
tural art works. A masterpiece of the artists’ from its servitude to information. Freed from
book can be enjoyed as a two-dimensional function, the book can be an aesthetic object,
object when viewed in a photograph, as a three- a work of art. When electronic books become
dimensional object when on display in a glass the primary distribution source for the written
case, and as a four dimensional object when word, people will turn to physical books for
held and read. If you find yourself frustrated aesthetic satisfaction.
because you cannot read the text or see the The book, with so many possible forms of Hedi Kyle’s first “flag
sequence when viewing the images in this expression, is clearly the most complex and ver- book,” April’s Diary
book, try enjoying the two dimensional experi- satile art medium that exists. I believe that very 1979, was a ground-
ence. If you really want to read or hold the soon artists will discover how to exploit these breaking structural
book, you can always contact the artist to buy potentials to create works of art that today exploration.
a copy or visit a library or museum to see it. are still unimaginable. It seems very likely that
Most art forms have recognized genres. by the end of the twenty-first century, paint-
Paintings can be labeled as landscape, abstract, ings and sculptures will be gathering dust in
or portrait. A film can be called a noir, comedy, museum storage rooms while the galleries will
or drama. Artists’ books do not yet have com- be full of artists’ books. Perhaps some of those
monly recognized genres. To organize the 1,000 art works will be books you first saw pictured
images for this book, I decided to focus solely here in this edition of 1,000 Artists’ Books.
on the structure, and defined four structural
“genres”: codex books (books with pages joined —Peter Thomas
to make a spine), accordion and foldable books Peter and Donna Thomas,
(books with multiple-fold pages), single-sheet Santa Cruz, California
books (books with single-sheet pages), and
sculptural books (books made from objects and
objects made into books). Detailed descriptions
of these genres are given at the beginning of
each chapter.
While traveling around the country, we
were frequently asked if we worried about com- Rebis Press’s 1981
“Hats Off” pushed
the limits of the fine
press aesthetic with
its nontraditional
binding materials and
unusual structure.
JOHN WEHRLE

Chapter 1:
CODEX BOOKS
books with pages joined
to make a spine
Books made with single-fold pages,
joined to make a spine:
• pamphlets, case bindings, designer
bindings, long stitch bindings, coptic
stitch bindings, stab bindings, French
door bindings
Books made with single sheet pages,
joined to make a spine:
• perfect bindings, drum bindings,
flip books, stapled pamphlets,
post and screw
0001–
0354
10 1,000 ARTISTS’ BOOKS
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Daniel Essig, USA