Artist's book

An artist's book (or artist book) is a work of art that uses the idea of a book as its main form. These special books are made by artists who see books not just for reading, but as a way to create art. Some artist's books are made in groups, called editions, either in small numbers or by big printing presses. Others are one-of-a-kind pieces, made uniquely by the artist.

There isn’t just one way to define an artist’s book, and many people argue about what should count as one. These books come in many different shapes and styles, and they have a rich history shaped by many modern artist movements. Lately, artist’s books have become more popular, showing up in art museums and libraries, where people learn about them in special workshops. As more people discover them, the idea of what an artist’s book can be keeps growing.

Overview

Artists' books are special kinds of books made by artists. They can look like regular books, called Codex, or they might be very different, like scrolls, fold-outs, concertinas, or even loose items kept in a box. Artists have been making books for a long time, but the idea of the artist's book became popular in the late 20th century. Earlier art movements like Dada, Constructivism, Futurism, and Fluxus also made book-like art.

An artist's book is one where the artist has a lot of control over how it looks, and it is meant to be a piece of art all on its own. These books are usually easy to carry, move around, and share with others. Some artist's books are not like normal books at all—they can be more like sculptures. Artists might make these books to let people see their art outside of galleries or museums.

Artists can use many different materials and methods to make their books, such as found objects. Common ways to create artist's books include hand binding, letterpress printing, digital printing, photography, printmaking, calligraphy, painting, drawing, graphic design, paper engineering, and machine production.

Early history

Origins of the form: William Blake

Artists have been making books in Europe since the early days, like the Book of Kells and the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry. But many people think the English artist and poet William Blake (1757–1827) was the first to really start making special art books.

Blake made books such as Songs of Innocence and of Experience himself. He and his wife Catherine wrote, drew pictures in, printed, coloured, and bound these books by hand. This mixing of words and pictures made very special and unique books. These ideas of mixing words and pictures, and making and sharing books yourself, are still important today in art books.

Avant-garde production 1909–1937

Before World War I, many artists across Europe began creating pamphlets, posters, manifestos, and books. They did this to gain attention in a world full of printed material and to share new ideas without needing traditional galleries. This helped them make affordable artwork that more people could see.

The Italian Futurists, led by Filippo Marinetti, were a big part of this movement. In 1909, Marinetti published the "Futurist Manifesto" in the newspaper Le Figaro, which made him famous. He then traveled across Europe, encouraging others to create books and pamphlets.

In London, Marinetti’s visit inspired Wyndham Lewis to start the Vorticist movement. Their magazine BLAST and David Bomberg's book Russian Ballet (1919) are important early examples of modern artist books.

In Russia, artists like David and Nikolai Burliuk, Elena Guro, Vasili Kamenski, and Velimir Khlebnikov created many artist books. These books often used unusual materials and designs, making each one unique. Some books had handwritten text and pictures made by hand, while others used different papers and binding ways so that no two books were the same.

After the Russian Revolution, this style evolved into Constructivism. Artists like El Lissitzky made books that influenced other artists across Europe. During this time, groups like Dada in Zurich and Berlin, the Bauhaus in Weimar, and De Stijl in the Netherlands also created many artist books.

Dada began in Switzerland during World War I. Artists there made books and magazines that were full of funny and strange ideas. In Berlin, George Grosz made books with strong political messages.

Surrealism also created interesting artist books. For example, Max Ernst made a book by combining old pictures from Victorian books, and Marcel Duchamp designed a special cover for a book. One Russian writer, Alexei Remizov, also made artist books that mixed dreams and reality in creative ways.

After World War II; post-modernism and pop art

Regrouping the avant-garde

After World War II, many artists in Europe tried to reconnect beyond national borders. They used artist's books to experiment with new forms, share ideas, and connect with others who shared their views.

In the 1950s, artists in Europe became very interested in books. This was influenced by modern theories and the need to rebuild after the war.

After the war, leading artists and poets began to seriously explore how books could be used as art. Artists in Brazil, the Netherlands, Denmark, and France started to change the way books were made. For example, a work by Isidore Isou asked viewers to put together pieces from an envelope to tell a story. Other artists, like Yves Klein in France, created books that made people think about identity and truth.

Dieter Roth and Ed Ruscha

Dieter Roth is often called the artist who defined the modern artist's book. In the 1950s and 1960s, he made books that broke traditional rules. He created books with holes, used old comic books, and even newspapers in his works. His books were made in very small numbers at first but later became more widely available.

Around the same time in the United States, Ed Ruscha printed his first book, Twentysix Gasoline Stations, in 1963. This book showed a simple trip along a road between Los Angeles and Oklahoma. Like Roth, Ruscha made many books during the 1960s.

A Swiss artist, Warja Honegger-Lavater, also created artist's books around the same time as Roth and Ruscha.

Fluxus and the Multiple

Fluxus began from classes taught by John Cage in the late 1950s. It was a group of artists from North America and Europe led by George Maciunas. They set up a gallery in New York but it closed quickly. However, the group continued to work together.

Artists' books and special editions were very important to Fluxus. They rejected traditional galleries and museums, preferring to share their art directly with people. Books sometimes looked like boxes or had unusual forms. For example, one book was made from a pulped book mixed with onions and spices, stuffed into sausage skin.

Conceptual art

The artist's book was very important for conceptual art. Many artists used books as a main part of their work. For example, an exhibition in New York in 1969 featured only a stack of books with text-based art.

Proliferation and reintegration into the mainstream

As artist's books became more popular, some of the original ideas changed. Some artists began making unique, handmade books, while others returned to making cheap, mass-produced books. Many artists taught and shared their work in workshops at various centers across the United States.

Art book fairs

There are many ways to buy and learn about artist books. Art book fairs have become very popular and help bring together artists and people who love these special books. These fairs create a community around art published in book form.

Some bookstores, like Printed Matter in New York City, have large collections of artist books that artists can sell there. Art book fairs are another great place to find and buy these unique books. They bring artists and fans together to share and enjoy artist books from places like Los Angeles, New York, Seoul, Tokyo, and many other cities around the world.

Critical reception

In the early 1970s, people started to see artist's books as a special kind of art. This led to more attention and discussion about them. Places for studying and teaching about artist's books were created, like The Center for Book Arts in New York. Libraries and art museums began collecting and organizing these books. New collections were started, such as Franklin Furnace in New York. Many exhibitions of artist's books were held in Europe and America, with one notable show at Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia in 1973.

Artist's books became popular among women artists in the 1970s. Groups like the Women's Studio Workshop in New York and the Women's Graphic Center at the Woman's Building in Los Angeles provided spaces for women to create art with feminist themes. Bookstores focused on artist's books opened, often started by artists themselves, such as Ecart in Geneva in 1968, Other Books and So in Amsterdam in 1975, Art Metropole in Toronto in 1974, and Printed Matter in New York in 1976. These stores also published artist's books and some are still active today.

The 1980s saw more artists making and selling artist's books, along with more books about them. In 1983, Cathy Courtney started a column in the London-based Art Monthly, which continued for many years. The Library of Congress began using the term "artist's books" in 1980 and has a special collection of them. During the 1980s and 1990s, universities started programs for learning about book art, such as at Mills College in California and The University of the Arts in Philadelphia.

In recent years, artist's books have evolved into new forms like CD-ROMs and DVD-ROMs, building on ideas from music records. Since 2007, the Codex Foundation has held a Book Fair and Symposium every two years in the San Francisco Bay Area, attracting collectors, artists, and anyone interested in this type of art.