What will be the canon for the artist’s book in the 21st Century?
In an arena that now includes both digital and traditionally produced artists’ books, what will constitute the concepts of artists’ publishing in the future?
This project is funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council. The AHRC funds postgraduate training and research in the arts and humanities, from archaeology and English literature to design and dance. The quality and range of research supported not only provides social and cultural benefits but also contributes to the economic success of the UK. For further information on the AHRC, please see the website www.ahrc.ac.uk
This project is investigating and discussing issues concerning the history and future of the artist’s book.
Our aim is to extend and sustain critical debate of what constitutes an artist’s book in the 21st Century - in order to propose an inclusive structure for the academic study, artistic practice and historical appreciation of the artist’s book.
We will be updating these project pages regularly so please visit again.
The links below will take you to different parts of the project; more will be added later this year.
Artists’ Books Seminar 1 (08/05/08)
How are artists using and investigating new media for publishing?
Where are we going with this? Where will the books end up?
Audio and PDF downloads of information from our first seminar
Focus on Artists’ Books in Poland (June 2008)
Read or download all of our interviews from Poland and watch videos of Radoslaw Nowakowski talking about his books.
Online Forum at Artist Books 3.0 until July 2009
You can view or join the 21st Century Book group and online discussions at Artists Books 3.0 at http://artistbooks.ning.com/group/21stcenturybook
Awaiting Transmission text book (November 2008)
As part of the project, The Centre for Fine Print Research invited E F Stevens, in the USA to produce a phone-based book, as a series of short, text pieces to create an artist’s book in six instalments which was texted to whoever signed up for the free bookwork. E.F. Stevens has allowed us to also upload the texts for viewing as part of the project archive: Awaiting Transmission
Focus on Artists’ Books in the USA (November 2008)
We interviewed artists, educators, researchers, students, publishers and librarians, during our November visit to the USA. We will be publishing transcripts of our interviews later in 2009, from Minnesota Center for Book Arts (MCBA) Minneapolis; Special Collections in the John M Flaxman Library, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago; Sally Alatalo - Sara Ranchouse Publishing; Center for Book & Paper Arts at Columbia College Chicago; and artists, curators, dealers, collectors, viewers and readers of artists' books at the 10th Biennial Pyramid Atlantic Book Arts Fair and Conference, at Cafritz Art Center, Montgomery College of Art and Design, Silver Spring MD, USA. In the meantime you can download a PDF of our interview with Sally Alatalo - Sara Ranchouse Publishing in the Blue Notebook, and listen to our reports on the USA for seminar 2 as MP3 audio files.
Artists’ Books Seminar 2 (20/03/09)
We reported back on the project’s findings to date, and the series of interviews with artists working with books over the last six months. We discussed how artists in different areas work with books, how artists’ books are perceived and showed examples of the variety of concepts and formats we have studied recently. Guest speakers Barrie Tullett and Guy Begbie offered two views of their own practice.
You can download PDF information sheets and listen to MP3 audio files from seminar 2.
Artists’ Publishing Part I Exhibition, at Bower Ashton Library (01/0509 - 14/06/09)
University of the West of England, Bristol, UK
A selection of books which will form part of the larger New Wave exhibition of artists’ publishing later this year (at Impact Printmaking Conference in September).
Artists’ Publishing Part I Exhibition
Artists’ Publishing Part II Exhibition, at Bower Ashton Library (15/06/09 - 28/07/09)
University of the West of England, Bristol, UK
A second selection of books which will form part of the larger New Wave exhibition of artists’ publishing later this year (at Impact Printmaking Conference in September).
Artists’ Publishing Part II Exhibition
Many thanks to all of the artists, academics, students, presses, publishers, curators, dealers and collectors who completed the online survey forms and ABTREE diagrams for the project April - 2008 July 2009.
The ABTREE diagrams will be shown as part of the New Wave exhibition in September 2009 at Impact Multi-disciplinary Printmaking Conference.
Traditional and emerging formats of artists’ books: Where do we go from here?
A two-day conference at the School of Creative Arts, University of the West of England, Bristol, UK.
Thursday 9th and Friday 10th July 2009
Many thanks to all of our speakers: Emily Artinian, Kenneth Butler, Katarzyna Bazarnik, Paul Clarke, Richard Cox, Bibiana Crespo, Zenon Fajfer, Angela Gardner, Andi McGarry, seekers of lice, Clare Thornton, Kathleen Walkup and Julian Warren for their wonderful presentations.
Text downloads and audio files from the conference
Thanks also to Francis Elliott (Foundry) for Dark Globe Enclosed Systems, to Baysan Yüksel for showing her artists’ books, Angela Gardner for the light-trap press displays, Katarzyna Bazarnik and Zenon Fajfer for showing Liberature publications, and to all of you who sent their ABtree diagrams for our first display wall.
Thanks to all the delegates for coming, some from as far away as Australia, USA, Denmark and Belgium. We hope you all enjoyed the conference as much as we did!
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New Wave - Artists’ Books in the 21st Century, September 2009
This exhibition of 100 artists’ books forms part of UWE Bristol’s AHRC funded project, and has been specially curated for IMPACT Multi-disciplinary Printmaking Conference from 16-19 September 2009. The exhibition will be archived for an online gallery for public viewing from September.
An open day will be held before IMPACT for general viewing on Tuesday 15th September from 10 am - 5pm in the new F Block building at:
UWE Bristol
School of Creative Arts
Kennel Lodge Road
Bristol
BS3 2JT
UK
Tel: +44 (0)117 32 84915
Any queries contact: email : Sarah.Bodman@uwe.ac.uk / Tom.Sowden@uwe.ac.uk
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