Read to me: A psychometric collaboration with objects

‘Read to me’ is an experiment made by the artist in the UK, in collaboration with a psychometric reader in The Netherlands, to transmit the emotional content of selected narratives through a series of physical objects. The project will be produced as an artist’s book in 201

Building communities

Article on ambitious community ventures at leading centres for the book arts in the USA and UK

A critical survey of creative production in relation to the market potential of artists’ books

Published results of a one-year AHRC supported survey project (30/05/04 – 30/05/05) to compare the different methods used by artists for creating and distributing their work; in order to offer advice to artists on how to market their work and build better relationships with potential purchasers. We knew that many artists (particularly those who were new to the field) have problems with pricing and marketing their work. We receive emails, letters and calls for help on a daily basis, from artists wanting advice on where they can exhibit and sell their work, and how to approach institutional and private collectors. This project was initiated to answer some of these questions in an accessible manner, which would help the artists, and enable us to direct them to information quickly. A year might seem like a long time to investigate these issues, but we knew that in order to conduct a proper investigation we would need to use a variety of methods to thoroughly ask and answer the questions. Our funding was only for travel and materials, and the project was run alongside other projects we were working on, which if anything aided our investigation through new contacts being brought into this study. We utilised a range of methods from an open response survey of the field, to interviews, case studies and data gathering, which we continually cross-referenced and added to as the project evolved. Our project resulted in the publication of a free download guidebook for book artists

Bristol fashion

Sarah Bodman reports on a book project close to home that brings together the entire bookmaking community

ABBE: Artist's Books Brisbane Event

A review of the ABBE: Artist's Books Brisbane Event at the Griffith Centre for Creative Arts Research, Brisbane, Australi

Milestones

article on Booknesses international colloquium, celebrating 21 years of artists’ books in South Africa

King of stamps: Sarah Bodman interviews artist Stephen Fowler on the eve of his new publication

An interview with the artist Stephen Fowler on the processes of rubber stamps and how he researched the subject for his new book Rubber Stamping: Get Creative with Stamps, Rollers and Other Printmaking Techniques published by Laurence King

Dear Reader… some contemporary books by artists

Artists’ books have evolved over the last sixty years into a significant, international contemporary arts practice. In the 1960s, the artist’s book grew in popularity as a means of bypassing dealers in high end galleries, taking artists’ works out to a wider public through self-publishing and distribution. The genre has evolved further through access to new technologies and affordable publishing tools in the twenty-first century. Many artists are engaging with the book format today, creating artworks that allow the viewer/reader to engage closely with the subject matter that they are holding in their hands. And in the digital age, hand-held can include works made for viewing on tablets and e-readers, some produced exclusively for digital platforms, and some that play on the instability of such platforms such as books created from images of broken Kindles. Some artists making books conduct the whole editioning process by hand, producing their own papers, using traditional printmaking and binding processes in celebration of the book as a timeless, physical artefact

Artists' books at the Centre for Fine Print Research

An article on artists' books at the Centre for Fine Print Research

A Manifesto for the Book

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 was funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council from March 2008 - February 2010. This project investigated and discussed issues concerning the context and future of the artist’s book, in an attempt to extend and sustain critical debate of what constitutes an artist’s book in the 21st Century.One of the key points of this project was to try and include all the book related activity that artists engage with. To include work that was being produced on, and exclusively for, digital technologies within the book arts field, and not leave it floundering uncomfortably on the edge, or subjected to a different terminology altogether, if the artist considered what they were producing to be a book, then we felt it should be included. We also looked at the continued practice of traditional production processes for artists’ books such as letterpress, etching, lithography, screenprint and woodcut, and have interviewed a range of artists and publishers who work with these, as well as those producing livres d’artistes, fine press books, design bindings, multiples, installation and audio books.Bodman will give a conference paper on this book at the IMPACT 7 International Multi-Disciplinary Printmaking Conference at University of Melbourne 27-30 September 2011. Topic 14: Printmedia and the Artists' Book - paper title ‘A Manifesto for the Book - artist's book - artist's publication - book art?’. http://impact7.org.au/program_wednesday.htm