THE ARTISTS BOOK EVOLUTION AND ITS INTERACTION
For centuries, books have been used as a medium for artists. From the manuscript, to the novels, to exhibition catalogue or artist’s work reproductions; it’s only in the 20th century that artists valued the books as an art form itself. Called Artists’ books, Artists books or Artist’s book, this new form of art, as the spelling itself, is difficult to define. Critics as Anne Moeglin – Delcroix, or Johanna Drucker analysed the development of the Artists books through historical, sociological and technical characteristics.
“Artists’ books take every possible form, participate in every possible convention of book making, every possible «ism» of mainstream art and literature, every possible mode of production, every shape, every degree of ephemerality or archival durability. There are no specific criteria for defining what an artists’ book is, but there are many criteria for defining what it is not, or what it partakes of, or what it distinguisches itself from.” – Johanna Drucker
In every movement or period, one of the artists many purpose is to create a rupture with their past. Artists books are no exception to the rule. In the 1960s, artists as Ed Ruscha valued this form which breaks with the handmade, expensive, rare, limited edition book. The aim was to distribute their vision to a mass public in an affordable way. Technological advances have helped the artists books to expand, and independent production became reachable to every artists.
Today, artists books are usually self published and printed in few numbered exemplars. Over the years, the culture, society change and so do the standards. Technologies evolve as well as life cost.
Today, digital technologies are everywhere, that is evolution. People tend to say that books or magazines are decreasing, that electronic tablets will substitute them. There are various aspects that could be arguable. In my project, the aim is not to confront the two technologies, but to enhance the reader to an emotional, tactile relation with the publications. My project will be aimed at different audience. The first group will be people that think that books are obsolet. In that case, my intention is to give them a feeling, a sensation by the touch or the smell of the book. Together with the fact that digital and books are two different technologies, and none of them has to take advantage on the other. The second target group gather people that are already interested by publications or artists books. Here, my purpose will be to show them another facet of the book, where the reader is a component in the story and the structure of the book.
In order to understand the evolution of the artists book, I would like to interview artists that create these form of art, as well as critics and publishing houses. Giving an overview scene, Christoph Schifferli is a collector of artists books of the 20th century. Additionally, Nieves is an independent publishing house focusing on distributing artists books and zines. Within these two contributors, I will be able to understand mostly how the artists book evolved, which characteristics have changed and emerged, and what is its place in today’s culture where the digital has widely increased.
In which way can the book evolve further and be an interactive experience with its reader ?
To illustrate these reflections, I intend to create a book that interacts directly with its reader. Creating a new narration and giving the reader a role in the book from a content as well as a structure side. Allowing the reader to choose between different story progressions ( combinatorial reading ), conferring various itineraries.
Giving him the possibility to transform the content and the structure, by tearing, folding, cutting, in order to create, to discover something new. Using different kind of paper or inks, as thermosensible – thermochromatic, reacting with the heat or the light will be used. The book will metamorphoses, evolves into something else, allowing new content to appear or dissappear. The aim is too give the reader a one time reading, an ephemeral and unique experience. The process being more valued than the result itself.
Performance is an art form that involves the human being, the time and the space. From the latin, per forma, it indicates an event that take place in a certain form. It is strongly established in the process figure, based on an ephemeral sequences of events. Within this context, the book will appear as a performance; a unique reader, in a specific place, a certain time giving, a one time experience.
Transforming, metamorphosing, evolving, destroying, many terms that define the life cycle. Destruction is needed in order to have a cycle in life. I will use this principle – destroy in order to create – as my tool for my book as well as for my content. Life is a continuous loop that is constantly renewed.
To illustrate that, I would like to portray how nature and animals evolved through time; starting from the Ice Age to the future, how they have regenerated, evolved and adapted.
I will create a imaginary animal that metamorphose himself from the ice age to the future. By changing its physical characteristics with the climate and the natural environment is living into. Additionally to this imaginary aspect, I wish to represent a more realistic point of view; by picturing how the glaciers are melting or how the sea level is increasing. These two views will allow me to create a story with various paths, as well as keep the reader into something he knows, a more realistic picture.
The purpose of this story is to have a red string, illustrated by the animal, going through a time line as well as through the book itself. The story will be a statement of what happenend in the past and today, and depict the future as a utopian / distopian way.