Artists' Books

This book is at once a textbook and a toolbox for using artists' books and creative publications to further community engagement and social justice projects. Far from being a staid survey of an art historical practice, Freedom of the Presses intervenes in an ongoing discussion about art and activism in the present day by considering the place of the art book in the 21st century. The publisher, Booklyn, has been involved in this conversation since 1999, when a group of six artists decided to band together to promote contemporary artists' books and publications. Booklyn's focus has always been voracious, encompassing street art, punk and activist culture alongside more conventional artists' books. This restless energy is present in Freedom of the Presses, which brings together a provocative mix of humorous, intimate and scholarly writing in order to expand how we think about the concept, content, design, production and distribution of artists' and activists' publications today. Aimed at a global community of librarians, publishers and readers, it offers models of how to reimagine contemporary artists' bookmaking as a socially engaged, political practice.

This volume gathers together the essays written by Clive Phillpot since 1972 on the definition and development of artists' books. A former librarian at Chelsea School of Art in London, Phillpot became Director of the Library at the MoMA in New York in 1977, and mapped out the field of artists' books from an institutional point of view. Collaborating with Printed Matter and Franklin Furnace among other places dedicated to the medium of the book, Phillpot helped raise awareness to these objects, while giving them the necessary credentials to enter museums. This book is a first collection of these historical texts, manifestos, catalogues entries, and essays dedicated to Ed Ruscha's, Sol LeWitt's, Dieter Roth's, and Richard Long's books. It will prove an invaluable reference for all those interested in the evolution of artists' books and their perception in the artworld.

Despite the fact that the field of artists' books has grown steadily since the mid-sixties, the discourse has been largely under- theorized. This book is a stunning collection of the most revered essays by Tate Shaw, the Director of Visual Studies Workshop. For years, Shaw's contributions to the field of artists' books as a theorist, artist, writer, historian, and teacher have been celebrated internationally, but have largely gone undocumented, until now. Shaw's versatility as a scholar and artist allow him to take a holistic approach to his subject that is historical, conceptual, anecdotal, contemplative, and engaging. Blurred Library is an indispensible contribution to the field of artists' books, essential reading for emerging and seasoned artists and scholars alike. Lavishly illustrated throughout by photographer Doug Manchee.

This anthology is the first in-depth look at artists' bookworks. A series of essays, written by longtime participants in and observers of the field, address the following questions: what are the origins, attributes, and what is the potential of artsists' books; what are their historical precedents; what issues are they addressing; who is making and publishing them? The essays are supplemented by extensive bibliographies and a list of collections.

Artists' books have emerged over the last 25 years as the quintessential contemporary art form, addressing subjects as diverse as poetry and politics, incorporating a full spectrum of artistic media and bookmaking methods, and taking every conceivable form. Female painters, sculptors, calligraphers, and printmakers, as well a growing community of hobbyists, have played a primary role in developing this new mode of artistic expression.The Book as Art presents more than 100 of the most engaging women's artist books created by major fine artists such as Meret Oppenheim, May Stevens, Kara Walker, and Renee Stout and distinguished book artists such as Susan King, Ruth Laxson, Claire Van Vliet, and Julie Chen. Culled from over 800 unique or limited-edition volumes held by the National Museum of Women in the Arts, these books explore the form as a container for ideas.

Everyone has something to say about their dreams, thoughts, and weirdest obsessions. Whether you're a pen-wielding Riot Girl in an urban landscape, a prairie cowgirl with the soul of a beat poet, or someone who just wants to kick back and take in the self-expression revolution, this book is for you.

With a cutting-edge selection of international examples, Behind the Zines introduces the broad range of zines that exists today. These include zines that function as a new kind of project-oriented portfolio to showcase a self-profile or document an exhibit. While some act as (pseudo) scientific treatises to call the reader s attention to a specific topic, others serve as playrooms for creatives to run riot and express themselves and communicate with each other in a space that is free from editorial restrictions. The book examines the key factors that distinguish various zines. It introduces projects in which the printing process significantly influences aesthetics or in which limited distribution to a small, clearly defined target audience becomes part of the overall concept. Behind the Zines not only documents outstanding work, but also shows how the self-image of those who make zines impacts the scene as a whole. Through interviews with people involved in zine production and distribution, the book sheds light on various strategies for this evolving media form.

This first comprehensive study of zine publishing uncovers the compelling story of the movement. From their origins in early 20th century science fiction cults, their more proximate roots in 60s counter-culture and their rapid proliferation in the wake of punk rock, Stephen Duncombe pays full due to the political importance of zines as a vital network of popular culture. Packed with extracts and illustrations, this is a useful overview of the contemporary underground in all its splendour.

The first book-length exploration of the quirky feminist booklets With names like The East Village Inky, Mend My Dress, Dear Stepdad, and I'm So Fucking Beautiful, zines created by girls and women over the past two decades make feminism's third wave visible. These messy, photocopied do-it-yourself documents cover every imaginable subject matter and are loaded with handwriting, collage art, stickers, and glitter. Though they all reflect the personal style of the creators, they are also sites for constructing narratives, identities, and communities. Girl Zines is the first book-length exploration of this exciting movement. Alison Piepmeier argues that these quirky, personalized booklets are tangible examples of the ways that girls and women 'do' feminism today. The idiosyncratic, surprising, and savvy arguments and issues showcased in the forty-six images reproduced in the book provide a complex window into feminism's future, where zinesters persistently and stubbornly carve out new spaces for what it means to be a revolutionary and a girl. Girl Zines takes zines seriously, asking what they can tell us about the inner lives of girls and women over the last twenty years.

Zines in Third Space develops third-space theory with a practical engagement in the subcultural space of zines as alternative media produced specifically by feminists and queers of color. Adela C. Licona explores how borderlands rhetorics function in feminist and queer of-color zines to challenge dominant knowledges as well as normativitizing mis/representations. Licona characterizes these zines as third-space sites of borderlands rhetorics revealing dissident performances, disruptive rhetorical acts, and coalitions that effect new cultural, political, economic, and sexual configurations.