Written Investigation:
Over the summer I dedicated my reading to the notion of Authorship within graphic design. Books such as 'Designer As...' by McCarthy lead me to discover Emigre magazine which I have found really inspiring. Whilst I was gaining a better understanding of the motives for graphic designers to seek authorship, I came across artists' books. I became inspired by the unconventional uses of the book that push principles of design and editorial. At times it was challenging to research a new topic whilst writing the dissertation. This was made harder by the ambiguity that surrounds the definition of the artists' book, making it hard to concentrate on a specific area. Before researching into the artists' book, my perception was that they were more like coffee table books; glossy, expensive and oversized. However, Philpott's diagram helped me to get my head around the complicated subject which allowed me to concentrate my research question. The lack of theory within publishing in general has made it challenging to provide arguments for the impact of the artist book, however the knowledge I gained through exploring the notion of publishing as artistic practice suggests that there are new boundaries to explore that could help determine some critical theory within publishing.
Struggled to make an argument out of my findings, therefore it turned into more of a research project. Often the more I read, the more elusive the genre of the artists' book seemed to be. The limited word count meant that I limited the exploration within my essay, which was a shame considering the broad research I carried out. I feel if the word limit was larger I could have found a better structure.
Practical Investigation:
My practical investigation could have gone into more depth, particularly if I'd looked at innovative methods of publishing online, instead of just simply using ISSUU. I feel that online publishing is yet to be developed. It would have been interesting to explore the limitations of print and show how digital tools overcome these limitations. However, showing a greater attention to the book as form allowed me to emphasise the importance of the printed book. If I had started the research for my practical investigation earlier, this could have strengthened my essay a lot more as the link between my written and practical piece is tangible.
Monday 22 January 2018
Final Practical Outcomes
Publishing my artists' book through digital outlets such as ISSUU ultimately increases exposure and availability. Whilst the aesthetic experience of the book is limited through screen, the digitisation of the book allows its memory to live on as a digital archive. This reflects the symbiotic relationship between publishers and the artists' book.
Publishing through Print
Variety of different stock weights, colours and textures have been informed by the process of making the book. The main purpose of publishing through print is to stimulate sensory experiences such as the feel, smell and action of turning the page. The professional quality of the design and production allows it to be viable for sale in independent bookstores.
PDF Print Out / Download
Explored further by making a GIF out of it for social media.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BeBVE61H-83/?taken-by=jwgreengd
YouTube:
This has been linked to my own personal website evidencing the benefit of increased communications through the WWW.
Synthesis
My decision to create an artists' book was influenced by Ulises Carrion's 'The New Art of Making Book's. I decided to adopt the role of artists and publisher in order to explore production and distribution methods available.
My research into Dieter Roth informed me that in order to be classed as an artists’ book it is required to be printed in multiples. Originally a writer, Roth created books as a means to publish his work, using cheap materials and print making techniques. What makes Roth such an influential part of the rise of the artist book was the fact that he challenged common trade in the art market. Instead of creating singular pieces of art, Roth’s practice encouraged editions, multiples and prints. He stated ‘Power = Quantity’ as he realised that the success of magazines and newspapers wasn’t conveying the news or information, but rather selling as many copies as they could. For Roth, the multiple allowed him to make a living as he was able to send them out into the world, taking advantage of the printed format to gain exposure and a broader audience. Clive Phillpot also supports this, believing artists’ books should be printed in multiples since unique works ‘normally embody a denial of the potential replicability of content and the inherent communicative value of the printed book’ (Phillpot, 2012).
Used the book as an 'autonomous space' which allowed me to flex my current knowledge and skills in design. Not only did this give me the freedom to act independently but it also allowed me to formalise elements of the book, such as typesetting, to make the book more commercially viable. As highlighted within my conclusion, there is still more attention to the book as physical form therefore I alternated the stock, medium and page sizes to highlight the experiential nature of the printed book.
This backs up my conclusion that graphic designers are using publishing to explore personal projects in the same way that artists are using the book as an alternative space to the exhibition context.
In order to communicate the symbiotic relationship between artists books and publishing, I used a variety of publishing formats. The the experiential and tangible nature of the book as form which will be published using professional printers and considered stock. The professional quality of production makes it commercially viable to be sold in independent book shops and artist book fairs such as Off Print London. The publication has also been published online to reflect how artists' are taking advantage of new technologies such as digital publishing and the World Wide Web to reach a broader audience. Furthermore, this reflects how online sources is helping to archive limited edition and out of print books so there memory lives on. Influenced by Antoine Lefebvre's research project 'La Bibliotheque Fantastique' and DR.ME's 'FIN?' the book is also available online as a PDF to print at home on any standard printer. The publication is available in colour and black and white to suit old and new printers. Whilst the quality of production may be challenged by the users printer, the primary purpose of the PDF is to get artwork into the hands of the public.
'In the old art the writer judges himself as being not responsible for the real book. He writes the text.
The rest is done by the servants, the artisans, the workers, the others.
In the new art writing a text is only the first link in the chain going from the writer to the reader. In the
new art the writer assumes the responsibility for the whole process.'
Artists who decide to use commercial presses to mass produce their work are faced with economic challenges as a result of the high production costs and low retail price, combined with a lack of commercial interest, barely allowing the artists to make any profit. My outcome ultimately challenges this by having a digital edition of the book available online for free. Although the experience is lost within digital, it still allows people to access the artwork.
My research into Dieter Roth informed me that in order to be classed as an artists’ book it is required to be printed in multiples. Originally a writer, Roth created books as a means to publish his work, using cheap materials and print making techniques. What makes Roth such an influential part of the rise of the artist book was the fact that he challenged common trade in the art market. Instead of creating singular pieces of art, Roth’s practice encouraged editions, multiples and prints. He stated ‘Power = Quantity’ as he realised that the success of magazines and newspapers wasn’t conveying the news or information, but rather selling as many copies as they could. For Roth, the multiple allowed him to make a living as he was able to send them out into the world, taking advantage of the printed format to gain exposure and a broader audience. Clive Phillpot also supports this, believing artists’ books should be printed in multiples since unique works ‘normally embody a denial of the potential replicability of content and the inherent communicative value of the printed book’ (Phillpot, 2012).
This knowledge ultimately encouraged me to explore methods of reproduction through digital tools such as the photocopier, scanner and Adobe creative suit. This demonstrates how manual and digital processes can feed off each other. My decision to create an artists' book was influenced by the need to share my interpretation through form and content. I am not only preparing my own artwork for reproduction and dissemination but also the work of Ulises Carrion and W. H. Auden.
My knowledge gained from looking at the rise of the artists' book fair lead me to take greater attention to the book in physical form. In the same way that artists' and designers such as Roth and Lissitzky responded to poetry and literature, I used Carrion's 'New Art of Making Books' to provide the content of the book and responded to it using a variety of techniques and processes. In order to communicate this, I used manual processes such as painting, collage and mark-making techniques. My interpretation was particularly influenced by Carrion's emphasis on 'Space'; 'A book is a sequence of spaces'. This influenced me to look at the structure of typesetting to which I abstracted through painting. With greater attention to the book as form, the book must reflect process. To achieve this I bound my original notes, sketches and scans of texts into the book. Not only does this demonstrate process, but also uses cheap methods of production influenced by my research into zines such as Riot Grrrl.
Used the book as an 'autonomous space' which allowed me to flex my current knowledge and skills in design. Not only did this give me the freedom to act independently but it also allowed me to formalise elements of the book, such as typesetting, to make the book more commercially viable. As highlighted within my conclusion, there is still more attention to the book as physical form therefore I alternated the stock, medium and page sizes to highlight the experiential nature of the printed book.
This backs up my conclusion that graphic designers are using publishing to explore personal projects in the same way that artists are using the book as an alternative space to the exhibition context.
In order to communicate the symbiotic relationship between artists books and publishing, I used a variety of publishing formats. The the experiential and tangible nature of the book as form which will be published using professional printers and considered stock. The professional quality of production makes it commercially viable to be sold in independent book shops and artist book fairs such as Off Print London. The publication has also been published online to reflect how artists' are taking advantage of new technologies such as digital publishing and the World Wide Web to reach a broader audience. Furthermore, this reflects how online sources is helping to archive limited edition and out of print books so there memory lives on. Influenced by Antoine Lefebvre's research project 'La Bibliotheque Fantastique' and DR.ME's 'FIN?' the book is also available online as a PDF to print at home on any standard printer. The publication is available in colour and black and white to suit old and new printers. Whilst the quality of production may be challenged by the users printer, the primary purpose of the PDF is to get artwork into the hands of the public.
Saturday 20 January 2018
Practical Investigation - PDF Print/Download
Inspired by the work of Antoine Lefebvre, the publication has been made available to print at home via a PDF download. This ultimately increases accessibility of content, allowing people to experience art outside the exhibition context.
The publications available from Lefebvre's La Bibliotheque Fantastique emulate print as the pages consist of scans from the physical book. This picks up subtle creases in the page and textures of stock as demonstrated by LBF 2 by Joseph Imhauser and Antoine Lefebvre
This informed my decision to use unedited scans of my publication instead of the original InDesign file. This will allow me to capture the imperfections from manual processes in order to emulate the experiential qualities of the printed original.
The publications available from Lefebvre's La Bibliotheque Fantastique emulate print as the pages consist of scans from the physical book. This picks up subtle creases in the page and textures of stock as demonstrated by LBF 2 by Joseph Imhauser and Antoine Lefebvre
This informed my decision to use unedited scans of my publication instead of the original InDesign file. This will allow me to capture the imperfections from manual processes in order to emulate the experiential qualities of the printed original.
Professional Consideration
Printers found at home and in offices most commonly print A4 size pages. As the original book requires the double page spreads to be printed on A3, I have scaled the book down to A4. This means once the book is printed and folded it will be A5.
The document can also be printed in colour or black and white. This was also influenced by Lefebvre as it makes the artists' book available to print from old and new printers, ultimately increasing accessibility.
Test printed the book via the PDF available through ISSUU to support my submission:
I simply stapled the book together, however their is opportunity here to provide instructions on how to bind the book using a needle and thread. Perhaps if I was to take this concept further, I would create a site dedicated to print on demand technology so that all of this information could be in one place.
Once the book was bound, I had to trim the pages with a scalpel. Whilst this isn't essential in experiencing the artwork, it can have a detrimental impact on the production quality of print at home technology. As an alternative, the user can buy the printed format from independent bookstores to avoid poor quality.
Overall I am really pleased with the quality of print considering it was printed on standard 90gsm stock from a standard printer. The flakey texture of the recycled stock has been successfully transferred into the PDF, allowing the user to experience the tangibility of the original book through print and digital.
Instead of using ISSUU it would be more beneficial if the book was available through my own publishing site. This would re-enforce the role of the artist as publisher.
Practical Investigation - Production
Size
The publication will be slightly smaller than A4 to allow the double page spreads to be printed on sheets of A3 paper. It is important to make the book as affordable as possible in order to increase chances of making profit.
Stock - The contrasts between stock weight, colour and texture aims to stimulate the reader
Recycled - 135gsm
In order to show an attention to materials and enhance the sensory experience of a book, I invested in some recycled stock from G.F Smith. The flakey off white texture of the stock aims to blend with the imperfections of the paintings. The affordability of the stock also lends itself to be mass produced.
Dark Green - 135gsm
Insert to separate the cover from the content
Grey - 270gsm
Used a higher grade of gsm in order to provide structure to the cover of my publication.
Used grey to communicate digital technology whilst the green communicates the natural autonomy of art.
Standard Photocopy Paper - 90gsm
The low quality of stock and the fact that it is pure white will increase the sensory experience.
Binding
Instead of simply stapling the content together, I decided to saddle stitch it in order to communicate the process of traditional book production and make it more desirable. I chose a dark green thread in order to compliment the grey cover.
The publication will be slightly smaller than A4 to allow the double page spreads to be printed on sheets of A3 paper. It is important to make the book as affordable as possible in order to increase chances of making profit.
Stock - The contrasts between stock weight, colour and texture aims to stimulate the reader
Recycled - 135gsm
In order to show an attention to materials and enhance the sensory experience of a book, I invested in some recycled stock from G.F Smith. The flakey off white texture of the stock aims to blend with the imperfections of the paintings. The affordability of the stock also lends itself to be mass produced.
Dark Green - 135gsm
Insert to separate the cover from the content
Grey - 270gsm
Used a higher grade of gsm in order to provide structure to the cover of my publication.
Used grey to communicate digital technology whilst the green communicates the natural autonomy of art.
Standard Photocopy Paper - 90gsm
The low quality of stock and the fact that it is pure white will increase the sensory experience.
Binding
Instead of simply stapling the content together, I decided to saddle stitch it in order to communicate the process of traditional book production and make it more desirable. I chose a dark green thread in order to compliment the grey cover.
Practical Investigation - Design Phase 3
Combining physical and digital elements:
Photocopied my written notes from entire module. I overlapped the notes by feeding the same piece of paper into the copier. This brings in elements from my initial concepts and emphasises the process of coming to this final resolution.
The quality of the standard photocopy stock is fairly low, however this will contrast with a variety of other stocks.
Cover Design
Photocopied my written notes from entire module. I overlapped the notes by feeding the same piece of paper into the copier. This brings in elements from my initial concepts and emphasises the process of coming to this final resolution.
The quality of the standard photocopy stock is fairly low, however this will contrast with a variety of other stocks.
Cover Design
The cover was influenced by directional arrow road markings for drivers:
From observing the arrows on the road, it seems they only work depending on the perspective of the viewer. Drivers approaching the road marking are looking at it from an angle.
I traced the arrow through Illustrator:
Rotating:
The arrow also looks like a manipulated computer cursor. The symbol can be used to communicate a new perspective of the book as it is being challenged by digital and physical outlets. The curvature and perspective of the arrow suggests speed and movement, therefore it would be appropriate to communicate the forward thinking, innovative approach to artists' books.
A lot of traditional book covers explored through La Bibliotheque Fantastique consist of minimal design features.
LBF 0 - Antoine Lefebvre
The arrow also looks like a manipulated computer cursor. The symbol can be used to communicate a new perspective of the book as it is being challenged by digital and physical outlets. The curvature and perspective of the arrow suggests speed and movement, therefore it would be appropriate to communicate the forward thinking, innovative approach to artists' books.
A lot of traditional book covers explored through La Bibliotheque Fantastique consist of minimal design features.
LBF 0 - Antoine Lefebvre
This is also consistent with the books presented on Printed Matter:
Dog House - Ken Kagami
They seem to let the content do the talking!
Kept the cover minimal:
Used Baskerville to highlight the tradition of the artists' book as evidenced by my research into responses to poetry and literature. The traditional serif typeface also gives Carrion's title more authority. Univers was used to highlight my involvement within the book which is why I contrasted the typefaces through the authors names.
I haven't added any colour as I intend to print directly onto a coloured stock.
Page Compositions
Took advantage of digital design tools by cropping and layering compositions:
This demonstrates the benefits of digital design tools.
Willem Sandberg - Experimenta Typografica
Looked at the work of Willem Sandberg's pamphlet design in order to see how he combines text and image through the pages of the book.
Dynamic use of typography
Separates artwork and copy using the centre fold
Non of the pages are the same
Typesetting is inconsistent
Different stocks
The Unknown Citizen' by W. H. Auden
The fact that the artists' book originates through poetry and literature and Carrion's text provides a section on 'Prose and Poetry', I included a poem at the end of the text in order to demonstrate some of the experimental methods of typesetting that poetry promotes.
I chose to include Auden's 'The Unknown Citizen' because it is renowned for its wit and irony in complaining about the mundane and anonymous qualities of bureaucratic, semi-socialist Western societies. This relates to my research project as I discovered the artists' book was a liberating platform for people to express subconscious and thematic issues without commercial restraints and ultimately become the author of their own work.
The artists' book was also a reaction against the fine art establishment
Graphic designers turned to independent publishing to seek authorship
The painting of the blocks of text aims to emphasise alternative spaces.
Kept the cover minimal:
I haven't added any colour as I intend to print directly onto a coloured stock.
Page Compositions
Took advantage of digital design tools by cropping and layering compositions:
This demonstrates the benefits of digital design tools.
Willem Sandberg - Experimenta Typografica
Looked at the work of Willem Sandberg's pamphlet design in order to see how he combines text and image through the pages of the book.
Dynamic use of typography
Separates artwork and copy using the centre fold
Non of the pages are the same
Typesetting is inconsistent
Different stocks
The Unknown Citizen' by W. H. Auden
The fact that the artists' book originates through poetry and literature and Carrion's text provides a section on 'Prose and Poetry', I included a poem at the end of the text in order to demonstrate some of the experimental methods of typesetting that poetry promotes.
I chose to include Auden's 'The Unknown Citizen' because it is renowned for its wit and irony in complaining about the mundane and anonymous qualities of bureaucratic, semi-socialist Western societies. This relates to my research project as I discovered the artists' book was a liberating platform for people to express subconscious and thematic issues without commercial restraints and ultimately become the author of their own work.
The artists' book was also a reaction against the fine art establishment
Graphic designers turned to independent publishing to seek authorship
The painting of the blocks of text aims to emphasise alternative spaces.
Practical Investigation - Crit
I pitched my overarching aims of the research project and highlighted my key findings:
My research question touches on technological advancements such as the Mac, digital printing and the WWW. This ultimately increased communications between artists' and allowed them to take on the role of publishing for themselves. Whilst my initial intention was to create a printed outcome, there is potential to show the symbiotic relationship between artists' and publishers by publishing my artists' book through print and online.
- Emphasis on process
- Availability
- Allowing people to experience art outside the exhibition context
- Symbiotic relationship between the artists' book and publishing
- Symbiotic relationship between print and digital
- Graphic design is ultimately increasing standard and reputation
My crit group was predominantly UX designers which gave me a new perspective of the impact technology is having on the development of user interaction.
My research question touches on technological advancements such as the Mac, digital printing and the WWW. This ultimately increased communications between artists' and allowed them to take on the role of publishing for themselves. Whilst my initial intention was to create a printed outcome, there is potential to show the symbiotic relationship between artists' and publishers by publishing my artists' book through print and online.
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