The Archaic Stillness of the Book (original) (raw)

On Photographing Artists’ Books

Journal of Medical Humanities, 2019

Artists’ books are challenging to photograph. They function as a unit of tightly conceptually-bound visual, textual and material elements in addition to a heightened self-awareness of the work's booksness. Binding, size, weight, and shape of the book, translucency, texture, thickness of paper, placement of images and/or text on the page or off the page interact with other graphic elements; they control, and direct the reader towards the expressive components of meaning which arise from pace, haptic experience, and visual or structural stylistic choices. Most of such information gets sacrificed in the process of documentation. Here I discuss some of such issues of photographing artists books for this journal and my solutions to replicating each artists’ book within the physical and thematic constraints of this publication: I tried not only to visualize the books’ content but also to translate some of the experience of how that content makes itself meaningful to the reader.

Navigating the bookscape: Artists’ books and the digital interface

In this paper I argue that many of the conventions of digitally-based work or the electronic screen have been presupposed, suggested or, in fact, achieved in the 'phenomenal' or Artist's Book and that the book, in the hands of the artist, becomes infused with interpretive acts. I attempt to unpack the suggestive ways in which selected examples of South African

The Artists Book in General, the Altered Book in Particular

This study broadly investigates the artist's book as a form of visual expression, placing particular emphasis on the altered book. The project gives a short history of the artist's book, accedes to the complexities of attempting to define this art form, as well as providing a postmodern context for altered books.

Artist's books: an exhibition hosted by Rare Books 28 September - 25 November 2011

2011

The exhibition was held in the Rare Books Exhibition space, Sir Louis Matheson Library, Monash University from 28 September - 25 November 2011 Opening address given by Sarah Bodman, Senior Research Fellow for Artists' Books, Centre for Fine Print Research (CFPR), University of the West of England. The Rare Books Collection hosted a display of Artists' books in conjunction with the international multi-disciplinary printmaking conference IMPACT7 2011 hosted by Monash University, Art & Design. The artists' books in this exhibition are created to reflect on political and social realities from several eras. Some items kindly loaned by Monica Oppe

Unhinged: Book Art on the Cutting Edge

Unhinged:Book Art on the Cutting Edge surveys recent directions in book art through the work of 60 prominent artists from Australia, Canada, Great Britain, and across the United States. It explores the limitless potential of the book as an independent medium, including both intimately scaled pieces and large installations. Book artists present lyrical odes to beauty as well as messages about identity, social justice issues, and environmental concerns. After perusing this publication, viewers will never "read" a book in the same way again.