This guide provides an overview of artists' book collections and supporting resources at the UGA Libraries.
What is an Artist's Book?
There are many interpretations and definitions of the term artist's book. At its most basic, artists' books can be understood as works of art created in book form. In her analysis of artists' books in Grove Art Online, Johanna Drucker explains:
"...an artist’s book is work that does not exist in any other form, is not a reproduction of pre-existing work, and is created as a book as the first instantiation and expression of a project. Artists’ books range from inexpensive multiples to one-of-a-kind artefacts and make use of every imaginable production and reproduction technology as well as taking a wide variety of forms. Artists’ books need not be made entirely by an artist, do not have to carry the signs of being handmade or unique, and have no particular constraints on the content, themes, or concerns they raise or the contexts in which they circulate. Even with such a broad scope in the definition, the artist’s book is readily identified because it takes the book as its primary mode of expression and is a work that comes into being as a book." (Drucker 2012)
Artists' Books at the UGA Libraries:
The Hargrett Rare Book & Manuscript Library, part of UGA Libraries Special Collections, has an extensive collection of artists' books, used by researchers in Art, Literature, Textiles, and other fields. To view items from the collection: request materials; make an appointment; or visit the Hargrett Library:
Location: 300 S. Hull Street, Athens, GA
Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Saturday, 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Contact: hargrett@uga.edu or 706-542-7123
The UGA Main Library houses collections in fine arts, history of books and bookmaking that include supporting materials on artists' books and book arts in general. Researchers looking for scholarship, criticism, catalogs, and how-to guides related to artists' books can search the collection through the Libraries' online catalog, GIL-Find, or by visiting the library:
Location: 320 S. Jackson Street, Athens, GA
Hours: Monday - Thursday, 7:30 AM to 2:00 AM; Friday, 7:30 AM to 9:00 PM; Saturday, 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM; Sunday, 1:00 PM to 2:00 AM
Contact: ask@uga.libanswers.com or (706) 542-3251
Further Reading
Bury, Stephen. Artists' Books: The Book As a Work of Art, 1963-1995. Aldershot, Hants, England ; Brookfield, Vt., USA: Scolar Press, 1995
Drucker, Johanna. "Artist’s book." Grove Art Online. Oxford Art Online. Oxford University Press, http://www.oxfordartonline.com/subscriber/article/grove/art/T2220480.
Drucker, Johanna, and publisher Granary Books (Firm). The Century of Artists' Books. 2nd. ed. New York City: Granary Books, 2004.
Klima, Stefan. Artists Books: A Critical Survey of the Literature. New York: Granary Books, 1998.
Phillpot, Clive and Lionel Bovier. Booktrek: Selected Essays On Artists' Books (1972-2010). Zurich : Dijon: JRP/Ringier, 2013
Stewart, Garrett. Bookwork: Medium to Object to Concept to Art. Chicago ; London: University of Chicago Press, 2011
Wallace, Eileen., and Julie Hale. Masters: Book Arts : Major Works By Leading Artists. New York: Lark Crafts, 2011.
{Photo is Black Marigolds: Being a Rendering Into English of the Panchasika of Chauras, Old Stile Press, 2007 }
