Artists’ books are works of art that are realized in the form of a book. Generally published in limited editions or as unique works of art, artists’ books can take many forms. For example, DAAP Library’s collection includes concertinas, games, painted cards, and quilts with text. Although book printers have experimented with unique looks for their products for centuries, the artists’ book is primarily a twentieth and twenty-first century art form.
Up until recently, there wasn’t a collection focus per se. Instead, we allowed the collection to develop in interesting ways. That said, recently we decided to establish a collection focus. We’re going to collect artists’ books which focus on cultural, racial, and sexual diversity, a focus that we feel aligns well with the interests of UC as an institution as well as the greater UC community. Many of the books in our current collection deal with diversity as a theme, particularly sexual diversity, and we hope to acquire many more artists’ books that promote or feature issues of diversity and multiculturalism.
We created this blog to increase awareness of and engagement with our lovely artists’ book collection. By making images of the books available online, we are sharing them with a much larger audience, especially those who are unable to view the books in person. A wider audience is especially relevant to our new collection focus on diversity issues.
Number 68 of 100 copies. Letterpress printed paper laminated to card stock and accordian folded. Brief texts collaged to both sides of the accordion. One side of the accordion has numbered baggage tags of elephant hide paper with small glassine envelopes attached containing various artifacts and inserted into numbered pockets. Berkeley, CA: Flying Fish Press, 1997.
Julie Chen has this certain clean cut earthy style to her work. This book art piece reminds me of little packets of seeds from the pockets of leftovers on every other page.
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