This course (which
is, I think, unique in a liberal arts college curriculum) is a survey of the
genre of artist’s books from its beginnings in the political and artistic
avant-garde movements of Europe at the turn of the 20th century through
contemporary American conceptual bookworks. In particular, the course will
examine the varieties of form and expression used by book artists and the
relationships between these artists and the socio-cultural, literary, and
graphic environments from which they emerged. Along the way we will also
explore the relationship of the artists book to other genres of artistic
expression, including sculpture, architecture, conceptual art, and performance
art. In so doing I hope to help you to develop critical skills – that is, how
to look at, describe, and talk about complex works of art – and to interact
with them on several levels.
- Instructor: Martin Antonetti
- Instructor: Anna Helgeson