Artists' Books
Ann Stinner, Canada
Let The Walls Speak
Canvas accordion book, with acrylics, ink, collage, sand, beeswax, brass findings, and leather thong; canvas envelope with acrylics, ink, and brass findings.29 x 24 x 1.5 cm 2006
If a book requires some sort of binding, pages, and text - can this object be a book? At first glance, it appears far more wall hanging than book. But on closer observation, one can see that there are dome fasteners placed at regular intervals. When fastened correctly, Let The Walls Speak becomes quite convincing in its bookness. Click on the picture to view.
Cathy Berg, Canada
The Lord God Made Them All
Altered book with hand trimmed painted pages, and pencil illustrations inside front and back cover.
14 x 30.5 x 21.3 cm 2007
This exhibit meets many of the criteria identified as required of books. It is bound, with pages and text - but with the pages trimmed so thoroughly, to actually read the text would require a lot more patience than most people have. The 'art' used in this book has resulted in a book object that can not function as a book.
Jacques Fournier (Éditions Roselin), Canada
Hommage à Etty Hillesum
BFK Rives Paper, steel, and maple.24 x 48 x 6 cm 2005
This piece holds the pages open beautifully. While it can not be folded shut and stored on a bookshelf like other books, in all other respects it works very well.
Stacy James, Canada
Reflective Journal II
Oil coated stainless steel wire, stainless steel wire, mirrors, glass, photo transfers, hair, thorns, ink, acrylics, watercolour, and mixed media collage.34 x 19 x 29 cm 2007
Definitely not a children's book! Reflective Journal II contains little actual text - the materials of the 'pages' are the text. This exhibit is very much an Artists' book.
Susan Carr, Canada
Colour - a plot line
Knitted telephone wire, paper, and ink 15 x 20 x 210 cm 2006
Is it a 'book'? This exhibit is bound together by the knitted telephone wire. The only 'pages' are the small paper tags, on which 'text' is written.
The text, however, consists of seemingly random words. Some examples: “primary”, “light”, “wrinkle”, “green/blue”.
Might it be considered a 'book'? Would you be more inclined to consider it a book if the words created a narrative?
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