Artists' Books

There are innumerable descriptions but we like the one used by the Smithsonian Institution Libraries: "'Artist's books' don’t look like most volumes found in a library. They are art objects in the form of books. As with painting or sculpture, much of the "story" in these books is visual. An idea may be illustrated in the book’s shape or binding, in the materials used, or in the artist’s choice of images. Words may be used to reinforce a message, but they are not always essential to the book’s meaning. Book artists often design, typeset, illustrate, print, and bind their own work, or at least supervise all these stages of production. Instead of paper, an artist may use clay, metal, or other materials. Artist’s books, recognizable yet new, can challenge us to explore innovative ways of seeing, learning, and understanding."