I have always enjoyed reading books, writing and illustrating my books soon followed, now I find the making of them is another dimension that I am keen to explore.
An artist friend, Helen Sanderson, has introduced me to this skill and helped me to make my first small book. I have included here a photo of Helen and a few words of her's about artist's books.
"Artist's books come in many forms. It is a popular passtime amongst people who love artist's books to try and define them. However, in defining artist's books invariably the definition limits the vision of the myriad of artists who are involved in producing them. Books are one of the oldest forms of communication in the world, much loved by most people. It is a vehicle that we are very used to. A book with many pages, and a cover, with binding that allows us to easily turn the page. A well made book feels lovely in our hands, and a visual feast as well.
Artist's when taking the book as a vehicle for expression use a multitude of ways to create their books. For some, the book stays in a familiar format. For others, the book is just a jumping off point, and the book becomes a sculptural object that relates to the content.
The first artist's book I saw was a couple of decades ago in a visiting exhibition in the QAG, where the artwork was a book, in the shape of a gun, and the content had to do with Nazi Germany. It was a potent and aggressive object that got much of its message across before the book was even opened.
Books that artists make today are often made by the artists. Some artists take existing books and alter them...creating altered books. These books are often satirical and political. Many printmakers are interested in making books of their prints, and creating prints to tell a story. These editioned books, mostly printed by the artists, are a showcase for the etchings, lithographs inside."
An artist friend, Helen Sanderson, has introduced me to this skill and helped me to make my first small book. I have included here a photo of Helen and a few words of her's about artist's books.
"Artist's books come in many forms. It is a popular passtime amongst people who love artist's books to try and define them. However, in defining artist's books invariably the definition limits the vision of the myriad of artists who are involved in producing them. Books are one of the oldest forms of communication in the world, much loved by most people. It is a vehicle that we are very used to. A book with many pages, and a cover, with binding that allows us to easily turn the page. A well made book feels lovely in our hands, and a visual feast as well.Artist's when taking the book as a vehicle for expression use a multitude of ways to create their books. For some, the book stays in a familiar format. For others, the book is just a jumping off point, and the book becomes a sculptural object that relates to the content.
The first artist's book I saw was a couple of decades ago in a visiting exhibition in the QAG, where the artwork was a book, in the shape of a gun, and the content had to do with Nazi Germany. It was a potent and aggressive object that got much of its message across before the book was even opened.
Books that artists make today are often made by the artists. Some artists take existing books and alter them...creating altered books. These books are often satirical and political. Many printmakers are interested in making books of their prints, and creating prints to tell a story. These editioned books, mostly printed by the artists, are a showcase for the etchings, lithographs inside."
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