2 Summer exhibitions at Arts of the Book Collection, Yale

[Jae Rossman <jae.rossman@YALE.EDU>]

A Flourish of Form: New and Traditional Structures in Artists’ Books
May through July
Hours: M, W, F 9am to 1pm & T, Th 1pm to 5pm

Traditional book binding techniques form the basis of most artists’ books, 
and while these historic methods and styles, including tape and cord 
bindings, adhesive bindings, accordion fold books, and stab and post 
bindings, have often been used to great effect, artists have not 
necessarily limited themselves.   In recent decades book artists have 
expanded their search for novel forms, too, creating new sequential book 
structures and reviving older forms or novelty styles.

This exhibit, drawn from examples in the Arts of the Book Collection (Arts 
Library, Yale University Library), demonstrates interesting structural 
forms in artists' books and focuses on several types.  Some artists make 
use of  forms most commonly associated with children’s books or novelty 
toys; others use forms like dos à dos or French door books that are more 
directly associated with the standard codex. Still other artists have 
adapted forms with no practical antecedent in the book arts but that are 
also closely related to other binding techniques.

The books on display highlight a continuing impulse to expand the 
boundaries of book arts beyond the historical limitations of traditional 
book forms. Older forms are being reexamined for their possibilities and 
new forms are being devised, tested and turned into successful works of 
art. By doing so, artists juxtapose distinct texts, complicate the 
narrative sequence, and enlarge the possibilities of reading, while 
demonstrating the unlimited potential of book arts.

-- Jonathan Lill, 2004 Kress Fellow in Art Librarianship

*********************
"Yalephabet: The Twenty-Six Roman Characters from Inscriptions at Yale 
University"

The final project of the Art of the Printed Word college seminar is on 
display in the vertical cases in the Arts of the Book Collection.  The 
portfolio consists of a  series of 26 broadsides, each depicting a letter 
of the alphabet as found carved on the Yale campus.  Students wrote 
commentary about each letter including information on its location, 
relationship to Yale tradition and history, and typographic 
importance.  Letterpress is alive and well at Yale!


Jae Jennifer Rossman
Special Collections Librarian, Arts Library
Yale University Library
PO Box 208240
New Haven CT  06520-8240 USA
(203) 432-1712
(203) 432-0549 (fax)
http://www.library.yale.edu/art/