Library Books
By Rebecca Goodale
Portland, Maine: Rebecca Goodale, 1998 (26.7 x 27.9 cm.) Ink and collage on paper.

Working in a library, as I do, there is an attraction to images that reflect that environment and depict the landscape that is familiar to any librarian, particularly when depicted from an unusual perspective. The attraction of Rebecca Goodale's "Library Books" is that it presents an almost voyeuristic view of a library from outside through its panelled windows. The front cover, bound in cloth, opens to reveal two women inside the library, card cut-outs lent depth and perspective by the book's tunnel concertina design. Among a naive impression of library shelves, one woman is seated on a chair reading a book entitled "Paris". The other woman, standing, can be seen through a door frame behind her browsing the shelves. A vase of tulips sits on a small side-table behind which a standard lamp stands in the corner. Through the library's 'rear' window, a third woman is visible, sitting in an armchair with a book open on her lap. The quiet library scene is bright and colorful, the open windows inviting.

Materials and Romano Hanni's "typo bilder buch"

It's not just the format and structure of Artists' Books that challenge author/artists, it is also the materials they use even in quasi-traditional formats such as the traditional book. One delightful and surprising example of this is Romano Hanni's "typo bilder buch" (typo picture book) which, while appearing to be a hefty volume, is feather-like in weight. The reason for this is that the book is letterpress printed on a hand-proofing press on paper towels hand-sewn together. Bound in corrugated cardboard and using four colours this book is an explosion and exploration of shapes, colours, designs, and scripts. The author states, in a humorous extension of his reasoning  "Since the invention of script and the printed word, we have lost access to pictorial statements: we have become character devout. Nonetheless, we still read images. Fluent reading is based solely on prejudices. The knowledgeable rdeaer deos not pecie toghteer indaidviul chaearcrts to from wrods but peircvees wrod imeags in tiehr etitrney. However, when reading images, signs and symbols, we seem to struggle, even though they also represent a source of information with a simulatneous effect on various levels. Initially, our visual perception looks for symmetry and a human face…." (believe me, the spelling is intentional!) 

In his artist's statement, Hanni goes on to say  "Page format [of typo bilder buch] was determined by the paper: Paper towels, maxi roll; composition: 100% oxygen-bleached pulp, wet strength additives, agents; roll length: 62.1 m +/- 2%, sheet size: 23 x 26cm, +/- 2%, paper from responsible sources [approved by the Forest Stewardship Council]…. 

"The design and sequence of the pages were intended to develop during the work process. The first printing forms were blue lines and linear frameworks at the bottom of the pages. New ideas developed during the unrolling and tearing off of double pages of paper towel as well as during composition, setup, printing, and removing of the type. The printing workshop represents the available raw materials: Lead characters, synthetics and wood, brass lines and signs, typographic sign and lead symbols. The typo pictures were composed from individual parts and printed on the hand proofing press; some of them were superimposed in several printing cycles. They are intended to mutually influence and merge into each other and to display an inner connection. The body of the book was bound by hand with thread. Overall production time was approx. 600 hours. This picture book would be delighted if it were used as inspiration to tell a spontaneously made-up story."

Supplement: "The purpose of this book is its purposelessness – superficially speaking."

This book is both visually exciting and physically surprising in its use of materials and design to express the artist's philosophy about the way we read, particularly the way we read images.

There's a copy on display at the Herron Art Library, Herron School of Art and Design, IUPUI, Indianapolis.

Fun and Games at the Herron Art Library

An indication of the diversity of content and format of Artists' Books is that while some are 'book-like' and invite the 'reader' to treat them like conventional books, others are not. Indeed many are of such unusual formats and structures that they seem more like puzzles or games. One such book is Nora Robertson's and Helen Hiebert's "The Pop-UP Hand Shadow Book". Helen Hiebert describes it as ".. featur[ing] four illustrated animal hand shadows in a theatrical book structure. The animals are brought to life as the viewer plays with a mini flashlight (packaged with the book), casting shadows onto panels behind the pop-ups in the book. A verse about each animal, by the poet appears on each page."  

Created in Hiebert's Colorado studio in 2012 this item is further described by the bookseller, Vamp & Tramp (http://www.vampandtramp.com) as "6.75 x 7.375" closed, and extending to 6.175 x 18 x 8"; 4 pages. Letterpress printed and laser-cut paper pages. Gate fold with fold-out pop-up panels. Housed in a cherry and plywood box with cut-outs of each animal featured in the book. Includes a mini-flashlight. Signed and numbered by the poet and artist." A poem accompanies each of the four images of Goose, Alligator, Baby birds, and Snail with visual instructions to use your hands to replicate the shadow images. The real fun is when the small torch is used to project the images against the back 'screen' of each page. Magical fun for any age.

The Pop-UP Hand Shadow Book
Images courtesy of Vamp & Tramp