Building Books

On Display January 24, 2017 through April 23, 2017

The specific concept of an "artist's book", as opposed to an illuminated (illustrated) manuscript, began in earnest in the late 1700s when British poet and painter, William Blake, merged both his art forms. In Building Books, Aimee Lee's Hirsute # 9 and Maddy Rosenberg's Lost retain the form of a codex but with the focus on the visual. Rosenberg's Dystopia, Maria G. Pisano's Breatheand Your Ticket, and Béatrice Coron's cut paper Galapagos function as accordion books, opening like miniature folding screens to reveal unexpected images and sometimes words.

While words lie hidden in Aimee Lee's dangling, Weight of the Moment, Erik and Martin Demaine sculpt words into swirling fantasies and Robbin Ami Silverberg's proffers antiquated advice in Proverbial Threads. In Civilized Digs by Laurie Spitz and Amee J. Pollack and in Document Storage # 5 and Treasure House by Kumi Korf, the idea of opening a book to reveal hidden visual information motivated the artists' constructions.

Exhibition Photos