ARTIST BOOKS FOR A YEAR TEN Visual arts UNIT IDENTITY: LOOKING IN

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ARTIST BOOKS FOR A YEAR TEN Visual arts UNIT
IDENTITY LOOKING IN LOOKING OUT OF
OURSELVES AROUND ABOUT OUR
LIVES

• EXAMPLES OF STYLES AND FORMATS
• AS CONSTRUCTIONS
• With ARTISTS WORKS from The State Library of
  Queensland Artists Books Online Collection
• J.FABER

Part of TIPS item - http//education.qld.gov.au/ta
l/tips/02507.html

Curriculum Exchange, Education Queensland
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EXPERIMENT EXPLORE WITH SOME BASIC BOOK FOLD
SIMPLE STITCH CREATIONS by J.FABER Which
construct, format do they fit in?
Hand-coloured printed Etching by author from
Workshop with Ron McBurnie to produce Artist Book
by various folds, cuts
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Further examplesWhich construction techniques
were used?Stab binding, concertina, pamphlet
stitched? Note covers
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The following slides displayWorks form the State
Library of Queensland Collection of Artists Books

• The Public can visit the Librarys Artists Books
  collection currently at
• James Hardie Library of Australian Fine
  Arts-Heritage Collection Section
• at 996 Wynnum Rd Cannon Hill
• by appointment

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GUAN, WEI Plastic surgery

• A unique item.
• Mixed media artists book concertina-folded
  pages titled, signed and dated by the artist
  padded silk cover attached.
• What aspect of identity may this work offer
  insight about?
• Note the concertina cover construction.

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GUAN, WEI Plastic surgery
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CHARUKA, PETER E No diving

• Digital prints, re-processed with Photoshop a
  variation of the concertina format.
• The intention of the book was to reflect on my
  relationship to the landscape, in particular, the
  ocean and waterI am a keen surfer and skin
  diver.

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CHARUKA, PETER E No diving

• I have an interest in childrens books,
  both historically and contemporary, and the
  way that they are engineered such as pop-up
  books. This was a motivation for how the book
  was made so that it could be presented in a
  number of scenarios you could turn the pages
  like a conventional book or you could
  display it like a sculpture.
• How might this book comment on the
  artists interests as identity?
• Note the pop-up, out feature!

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TSE, JONATHAN Portrait of an Australian

• This artist's book contains original images
  and is a limited edition of ten plus two
  a.p.s, hand screenprinted and signed by
  the artist'
• What document is this artist
  appropriating? What might he be suggesting by
  his choice of images and information used?
• What other documents can make up your
  identity?
• Research altered books
• Note the use of text Image integrated.

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TSE, JONATHAN Portrait of an Australian
The artists family migrated to Australia from
Hong Kong in 1975. For the child migrant the
process of settling into a new country is
sometimes more demanding than it is for an adult.
The decision to migrate is usually one in which
the child has little to say, even though the
parents may see their children as the main
beneficiaries of migration. In the form of an
Australian passport Portrait of an Australian
presents the migrant experience mainly through
words and pictures, and challenges the notion of
what it is to be Australian.
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TSE, JONATHAN Portrait of an Australian
The images, text and other resources were
compiled over a period of 12 months. All images
used in the book were from the artists family
album. The paper is Edward Dunlop paper. The
Australian Coat of Arms was redesigned and
fabricated for the cover and block foiled in
gold.
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OUDYN, JACK The very first book of fish

• Mock-up for book published by Micro Press in
  edition of 50 copies.Ink, paint, collage on
  pages from telephone directory.
• Note this could be folded up or cut to make a
  flutter book.
• What ideas could you substitute to make a
  panelled look at your self?...
• Or rework which typical image in a number of
  different ways?

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HOGAN, JAN Little Red Riding Hood (art
original)

• Lithographs on paper mounted on sixteen wooden
  blocks, held in wooden box with two-part hinged
  lid each block has one letter and three printed
  illustrations.
• Could Identity be a story set out on blocks
  instead of pages?
• What words, letters could tie into the tale of
  self?

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McBURNIE, RON Little hole
The five etchings for this book were made by Ron
McBurnie and printed by Rochelle Knarston on
Arches paper. The book was designed and bound in
full ltemugt leather by Friedhelm Pohlmann in 1996
in an edition of 20. The idea for the book
relates to its structure. Fred Pohlmann gave me a
mock up first. I thought that I should design the
etchings around the little hole in its centre.
The environmental theme just evolved from at
first observing the hole, to touching it, and
then to getting very serious and blasting the
hell out of it. Its also a book about
observation. I have noticed that many people who
look through the book fail to notice the tiny
piece of gold leaf hidden in the hole of the last
page. When we go somewhere we often miss seeing
whats really in front of us staring us in the
face Ron McBurnie
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McBURNIE, RON Little hole

• There are a number of pages folded up to ¼
  size.
• What might you feel as you unfolded each?
• Note the folds and layout of the images to
  a centre point. What ideas of yours might
  unfold and reveal around a central focus?

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KINGSTON, PETER A - Z

• Alternative title (not on item) Alphabet book
  of phobias.Illustrations are original etchings,
  hand-coloured This is an ABCedary of phobias,
  irreverent, funny and beautifully executed.
• The artist suffered from agoraphobia for a time
  which formed the inspiration for this book.
• What zany ideas might you use to create
  an ABCedary of Identity or Self?
• Note the idea of handcolouring you might
  photocopy or print multiple copies and make
  each distinct.

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MALONE, HELENRoman alphabet

• Handmade book designed, written and embossed by
  Helen Malone. This book arose from an interest in
  the history and roots of our letters, language
  and culture in Ancient Rome.
• The familiar monumental classical letters of the
  Roman alphabet were often carved into stone.
  Stone carvers strive to give the illusion that
  the letters are raised above the surface rather
  than lying below it. This inspired the idea of
  using the letters in combination of cutting and
  hand embossing to create visual interest, a play
  of light and shadow, to accentuate the form.
  Watercolour paper was painted with diluted Sumi
  ink to suggest a subtle marble effect. Each
  letter of the alphabet was linked to a Latin word
  which as a derivative to current English.

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MALONE, HELENRoman alphabet

• The concertina book format was chosen to
  allow display of the whole work at the one
  time (like stone carvings).
• Consider the cutout quality here in the
  concertina folded book. What could you
  emphasize using this idea?
• Note the container for this book in the
  background.

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WOOD, BERYL Art class

• Calico stretched over board alternate pieces
  have printed narrative in verse, others are laser
  printed to illustrate the story in wooden box
  which has painting in acrylic on top .
• The book was made after I painted a scene
  representing an art class showing how different
  people see objects and situations from different
  perspectives. As the last line of the script says
  Viva la difference.

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WOOD, BERYL Art class

• Note your book doesnt have to made of paper!
  Or pages joined!
• Would you then necessarily start at one end or
  choose to view the work from any point? So
  would you consider this when organizing your
  focus for this approach? All separate
  individual insights, viewpoints? Or a
  continuous tale if in the right order?

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MONEY, CATHERINEMehndiNature

•   My hands are very old they hold a story.
  It is a story of nature and struggle. Like an
  ancient relic, they are stored in a box.
• MehndiNature
• Delicate Intricate Precious Vulnerable.
• Fading from existence. Lost Forever.
• It is in our hands.
• The inscription on my book reads My name
  is Catharine Money and theseare my hands. Nature
  is in everyones hands. We are the caretakers.
  Like the ancient art of mehndi henna on the hands
  of the bride, toil will replace the fading
  beauty. Nature is in our hands. Give nature a
  hand

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MONEY, CATHERINEMehndiNature
Mehndi. The starting point for my book was a
newspaper photograph of a womans hands that had
been henna tattooed. She was to be married. It
was here that I learnt that her culture forbade
her from any form of manual labour while she
still had the henna tattoos on the palms of her
hands. Henna tattoos are a temporary work of
art. I loved this concept of no housework and
dreamt of having the palms of my hands
permanently tattooedMy book, when opened fully,
is like the hands of the bride, on show. They
also represent how one holds ones hands when
something fragile is placed in them. This is
also the gesture for sharing something.
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MONEY, CATHERINEMehndiNature

• I traced my hands to make this book
• I placed my book in an outer case of
  distressed, embossed aluminium to give it the
  feel of something ancient. Placing it in a
  clear Perspex box, that resembles glass, and
  by elevating it up off the base, gave
  MehndiNature a relic like and precious
  feel.
• Note your book doesnt have to be a
  geometric shape. (What about a paper doll cut
  out concertina?)
• The artist has used her own hand tracecould
  you incorporate yourself some how as a
  template ..a shoe, foot ,/ an ear print?
• How will you present your work cover,
  container?

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NOTE THE CONTAINER IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF
THESE ARTISTS BOOKS PRESENTATION BY JUDY
BARRASS, HELEN SANDERSON, BERYL WOOD, CLAIRE
VAN VIET, HELEN MALONE, CATHERINE MONEY
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THE ARTIST STATEMENT

• The quotes beside the illustrations of the
  Artists Books are from The Artists Statement.
  This information is supplied by the person
  creating the work often giving details of
  production, process materials but predominately
  giving the reader the leading direction, source
  of their ideas or motivation. It often includes
  insight into a personal interest of their own
  developed here.
• Create your own artist statement to accompany
  your work to explain what ideas you focused on ,
  why, and where your sources came from as well as
  what you trialled played around with a
  critique in conclusion.

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TO CONCLUDE QUESTIONS TO PONDER

• Where do these artists get their ideas from? Is
  it a response, an interpretation of theme/event?
  Is it always personal?
• Would you agree they generally focus in on a
  specific idea/issue?
• Do they use many different techniques to create
  their images and then gather them together, or
  do they refine their choices? What determines
  their selection?
• Which works had the most visual impact? Was this
  because they used the art design elements and
  principles - line, colour, shape, tone, texture,
  rhythm, repetition, balance, contrast, variety,
  harmony etc. - in specific ways?

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TO CONCLUDE QUESTIONS TO PONDER

• Did they all have a sculptural quality? How many
  do you need/want to turn the page to read?
• These works are Australian. Would there be much
  difference in artists books from overseas
  artists? Check the websites.
• University of Delaware Library
  www.lib.udel.edu/ud/spec/exhibits/artistsbookRevi
  ew this site to see a collection of artist books
  exhibitions across many years titled Personal
  visions.
• The Smithsonian Institution Libraries site
  also has online exhibitions to search
  www.sil.si.edu/SILPublications/online_Exhibitions
  Type in simple query artists books and
  worldwide links will appear.
• Which art works did you admire? Will they inspire
  you to develop your own artists book or will you
  find your own source of inspiration?