Final Essay Plan

Chapter 1 - Intro

Introduce my research project and give a brief overview of what my research will cover and what I intend to find.

Chapter 2 - Defining the artists' book

My research has highlighted the importance of defining the artists book because there are many different interpretations of it.

Referred to numerous sources:

• Johanna Drucker - The Century of Artists' Books

Artists' books originated through poetry and literature

It is important to highlight how the artists book is different from that of literary book found in libraries:

‘attention to materials, their interactions, and the content bound within the book are an integral feature of a book, but as with other aspects of production, artists’ books tend to bend and stretch all the rules and conventions of craft decorum’

Example: Refer to Launch Press' 'The Pale Wall' to provide an example for how the format of the book can be manipulated through these unconventional formats. 

However, Drucker goes on to highlight that, ‘the definition of the artist book still remains highly elusive’ due to the plethora of uses and functions of the book as form and concept’

This provides opportunity to include another source in order to help define it:

• Clive Phillpot - Booktrek

Venn diagram can help to explore the diversity of the topic

Used examples from David Hockney's books in order to explore Philpott's diagram in more detail. 

Phillpot’s diagram puts the artists book between the two extremes of function and form suggesting that the artists’ book is a hybrid between the objective nature of literary texts and the aesthetics of book art.

The fact that Philpott has chosen different fruits suggests the variety of forms the book can come in. 

I propose a spectrum maybe a better option. 

Chapter 3 - The beginning of the Democratic Multiple

This section will look closely at the work of Dieter Roth. Moma provide a great source of information and examples of his work which I found really beneficial to highlight the fact that the purpose of the artists book is to be printed in multiples. 

Roots in craft

Made multiples to make a living - ‘the multiples were also a way to live, since he was able to send these objects out into the world and survive off of them’ (Goldstein, 2013).
Emphasis on the book as object

Democratic multiple: Maria White: 'getting art off the wall, out of the gallery, and into the hands of a wide, democratic, populist audience'

• Walter Benjamin - aura and authenticity 

Benjamin proposed in 1936 that every piece of art has an aura; ‘an appearance of magical or supernatural force arising from their uniqueness’ (Benjamin, 2010). When you apply this to artists’ books and the key principle of multiples and reproductions, it can be argued that the object is no longer a piece of art. 

HOWEVER, Roth's experience within commercial design influenced him otherwise. - 'Power = Quantity'

Refer to contemporary artist Damien Hirst to reinstate the notion of multiples in art. 

Chapter 4 - Publishing as Artistic Practice

This section aims to highlight a shift from Roth's craft orientated approach and demonstrate how his authorial approach has influenced designers to take responsibility for the entire publishing process. 

I used Ed Ruscha's 'Twenty Six Gasoline Stations' to highlight the success of taking art out of the gallery. 

• Phillpot provides the info:

Originally published in 400 copies at $3, the book provided a cheap alternative to buying art and experiencing it away from an exhibition context. Four years later in 1967 the second edition was released in 500 copies and soon a third edition in 3000 copies were printed. 

Shift from Roth's craft orientated approach to use of commercial design and print methods:

Ruscha stated in 1965 that he was ‘not trying to create a precious limited edition book, but a mass-produced product of high order’ (White, 2013). 

A key text that I have highlighted through my research is Ulises Carrion's 'New Art of Making Books'. This becomes relevant here as she highlights the author of the book is required to take on the responsibility for the entire publishing process:

‘in the old art the writer judges himself as being not responsible for the real book’, the author writes the text and the making of the book form is done by ‘the servants, the artisans, the workers, the others’ (Carrion 1975). With an artist book, writing the text is ‘only the first link in the chain… in the new art the writer assumes the responsibility for the whole process’ (Carrion, 1975).

This can lead into the next chapter which will explore how technological advances has influenced artists' to take on the role of publisher. 

Chapter 5: Technological Advancement

Advances in technology provide opportunity for individual artists’ to have desktop publishing capabilities at home or in the studio which ‘created the possibility that anyone [could] make a book, anyone [could] lay it out and have it printed in editions of limitless size’ (Phillpot in White,1979)

Zines 

Example of the artists' book that reflects key principles of Roth's DIY method of production. 

There connection to art can be evidenced by Lefebvre: 

‘I call artzines the artists’ publications that are produced in a DIY spirit’ which ‘have a strong connection to contemporary art, and the history of avant-gardes’ (2014)

Used Riot Grrrl as an example

Mention reasons why the artists' book hasn't been commercially accepted
Show how technology is solving these problems and innovating new forms of publishing

• Printed Matter - 

With over 15,000 titles by over 6,000 artists, Printed Matter’s approach uses advancements in communication to increase discussion to provide a trustworthy source for the dissemination and sale of artists' books.
Institutionalising the artists' book by requiring it to be printed in multiples of at least 100 in order to be stocked.

Lefebvre's research project 'La Bibliotheque Fantastique' can be used to investigate digital publishing. The books presented on the LBF website are freely accessible, downloadable and printable via PDF files by anyone with an internet connection and basic printer.

The fact that the user can publish the book from digital potential to physical, suggests that the act of printing the book is an act of legitimisation.
Concludes that 'the future of publishing [is] the unrestricted distribution of information (through PDF files…) and printing on demand, which is cheap and sustainable’.

• DR.ME

Referring to 'FIN?'

Evidencing graphic designers increased involvement in independent publishing. Using the book as a vehicle to publish work outside of commercial contexts. (evidenced from the interview)

Limited to 100 downloads which challenges Lefebvre’s conclusion of unrestricted distribution being the way forward for publishing. 

It indicates that print on demand technology is being commercially limited in order to make the digital download more desirable.

DR.ME are taking advantage of both physical and digital outlets to further increase exposure and gain recognition within the art world. In fact, DR.ME are referring back to the origins of the artists’ book by publishing experimental processes and unresolved ideas.

Chapter 6: The Physical 

With increased attention to digital publishing this section aims to explore the relevance of the physical book. 

Artists produce physical books because they have an inherent desire to produce physical artworks

Even the large publishing houses are publishing beautifully designed books, for example Penguin brought out cloth bound classics to tempt consumers to buy the physical even though they’re available via digital sources such as ebooks. This shows that even though digital publishing is popular, both artists and publishers use the tangible features of print to make the books more desirable.

Digital archiving - Often produced in limited editions, artists books generally cannot reach a wide audience. Digitisation, however, can help overcome this obstacle as the digital world is helping to keep a memory of limited edition and out of print artists’ books.

Aaron Cohick

‘I use the “digital book” in a very mundane, practical way — to archive out of print books and keep them accessible’ (Cohick, 2017).

Artists' book fairs - The graph indicates a rise in popularity of artists’ book fairs. In 2006, the New York Art Book Fair hosted 40 exhibitors and had an attendance of 6000 however by 2015 these figures had risen to 370 exhibitors and an attendance of 35,000. 

Not only does this challenge the exhibition context but also the art market too by allowing the audience to take away an edition of artwork for an affordable price. Books are made to be interacted with and it is ultimately the audience/user that realises the potential therefore they should be placed into the real world.

Chapter 7: The Contemporary

NewLight Press

‘digital technology has killed the book in the same way that photography, once upon a time, killed painting. (NLP, 2014) One could argue that rather than ‘killing’ the book, the book has been required to reinvent itself, or else it will become redundant.

Graphic designers have a history within artists' book production - El Lissitzky and Herbert Bayer

The autonomous activity of making artists’ books has made the act a desirable format for creatives to explore away from commercial realities. This is particularly evident in the graphic design scene. The common role of the commercial graphic designer is to be a service provider, working in the background as a neutral component of a business.

However, graphic designers have turned to independent publishing to pursue personal projects outside of commercial boundaries, evidenced previously by DR.ME’s ‘FIN?’. to which writer Alexander Starre believes,

‘the graphic design scene has recently made an assertive claim for the artistic ambitions of their practice and their products’ (Starre in Gilbert, 2016).

In the same way that Roth was reacting against the art industry, graphic designers are resorting to the artists’ book in order to innovate and become the author of their own work. In many cases, the artists’ book has become a liberating platform not only for artists, but creatives from a variety of disciplines to publish their work.

Chapter 8: Conclusion

Symbiotic relationship between the artists' book and independent publishing 

The publisher has much to gain from keeping a strong relationship with these creative authors whilst the artist can benefit from the publishers reputation and following. - Both can feed off each others expertise 

The main driving force for artists books is the DIY attitude which has stayed consistent from Roth’s craft orientated approach through to the contemporary.

Printed Matter institutionalising the artists’ book whereas mainstream publishers such as Penguin republish books in print with an emphasis on high quality of production

Archiving is fuelling this symbiotic relationship between artists’ books and publishing.

Artists have always used modern technologies to make new artworks so the fact that artists are using digital tools to make books to be experienced through screen-based media is an exciting concept.