Beyond Words
A Celebration of Book Arts in 2018
curated by Barbara Brown
October 16 – November 24, 2018
Opening Reception
Friday, October 19, 2018, 7 – 9 pm
Artist/Curator’s Statement :
In writing about artists’ books, it is a bit difficult to know where to begin, for the term gives rise to much heated discussion among book artists, and the point has been made that it should come with a warning label: the instant one uses it, one must then be ready to define it and defend the definition. For me, ‘book inspired art’ is a good starting place.
A strong case can be made that artists’ books, sometimes called by the tongue-in-cheek acronym, BSOs (book-shaped objects), blossomed, as an artistic vehicle, in the 20th century and have since managed to find their way into most major art forms. In this digital age of electronic media, there is inspiration in exploring the myriad possibilities found in materials that are common, yet uncommon; simple yet sophisticated; sometimes raw, but always transformed.
For the artists in this show, the interpretation goes beyond the three dimensional structure. The reading has layers, both physical and conceptual, engaging the viewer in a dialogue. Some of the pieces you’ll find on display will be recognizable as books, others less so.
Please join us as we explore the often whimsical, sometimes serious world of book arts.
Participating artists :
Ruth Bardenstein, Sam Bertin, Ben Bertin, Barbara Brown, Dick Cruger, Ian McClellan Davis, Meghan Forbes, Alvey Jones, Karen Anne Klein, Norma Penchansky-Glasser, Maria Phillips, and Howard White
— Barbara Brown, 2018