A Flourish of Form: New and Traditional Structures in Artists’ Books
May through July
Hours: M, W, F 9am to 1pm & T, Th 1pm to 5pm
Directions: http://www.library.yale.edu/libraries/locations.html
Traditional book binding techniques form the basis of most artists’ books,
and while these historic methods and styles, including tape and cord
bindings, adhesive bindings, accordion fold books, and stab and post
bindings, have often been used to great effect, artists have not
necessarily limited themselves. In recent decades book artists have
expanded their search for novel forms, too, creating new sequential book
structures and reviving older forms or novelty styles.
This exhibit, drawn from examples in the Arts of the Book Collection (Arts
Library, Yale University Library), demonstrates interesting structural
forms in artists' books and focuses on several types. Some artists make
use of forms most commonly associated with children’s books or novelty
toys; others use forms like dos à dos or French door books that are more
directly associated with the standard codex. Still other artists have
adapted forms with no practical antecedent in the book arts but that are
also closely related to other binding techniques.
The books on display highlight a continuing impulse to expand the
boundaries of book arts beyond the historical limitations of traditional
book forms. Older forms are being reexamined for their possibilities and
new forms are being devised, tested and turned into successful works of
art. By doing so, artists juxtapose distinct texts, complicate the
narrative sequence, and enlarge the possibilities of reading, while
demonstrating the unlimited potential of book arts.
-- Jonathan Lill, 2004 Kress Fellow in Art Librarianship
*********************
The Kress Fellowship is intended for a recent graduate from library school
who wishes to pursue a career in art librarianship or visual resources
curatorship. This fellowship is made possible through the generosity of
the Samuel H. Kress Foundation. Through this fellowship, the Kress
Foundation seeks to achieve in the field of art librarianship what it has
accomplished for art history and art conservation: ensuring the growth of
the discipline by promoting the advancement of new professionals.
Kress Fellows are introduced to a broad spectrum of professional
activities. They have the opportunity to provide reference and information
services, offer bibliographical instruction to undergraduates and graduate
students in the classroom and the library, assist users with an increasing
range of electronic resources, perform collection development activities,
interact with a variety of special collections and learn about visual
resources curatorship. During their tenure at Yale Kress Fellows are
expected to pursue a mutually agreed-upon project resulting in a
serviceable product such as a publishable paper or a new library service.
This exhibition is one of the two products of Jonathan Lill's recent tenure
as the Kress Fellow. Later this month we will go live with the other
component of his fellowship -- a study guide of material and format of
artists' books in the Arts of the Book Collection. This will be available
online from the Arts of the Book Collection web site and on paper in the
Arts of the Book Collection Reading Room. Stay tuned for additional
information.
Jae Jennifer Rossman
Special Collections Librarian, Arts Library
Yale University Library
PO Box 208240
New Haven CT 06520-8240 USA
(203) 432-1712
(203) 432-0549 (fax)
http://www.library.yale.edu/art/
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