Paper is likely one of the first things that come to mind when you think about books. But most of us will imagine a codex – bound leaves of paper between two covers. After all, that has been the dominant form for books for hundreds of years. Artists today, however, use paper to inspire new ideas about how a book can be structured and what it can contain. Explore dozens of artists’ books from the Library’s special collections that expand what a book can be.

Artists’ books (sometimes known as book works) are a broad category of artworks that take traditional books forms as their starting point. But these forms can be altered or arranged in many ways to achieve the artist’s vision. Some strive to make an exceptional example of a traditional book, combining text, images and binding into a beautiful whole. Others may deconstruct the book form to elaborate on an idea or theme. One common technique is to experiment with the materials, particularly paper itself, to expand its expressive possibilities.

Elevating paper from a vehicle for artistic expression to an integral part of the expression itself, an artist may use paper to complement the text, provide a visual explanation for the chosen theme, or even become the central concept of the work. The artists’ books on display demonstrate many novel ways artists choose to incorporate and play with paper in their work.  

Banner image: Michael McClure (artist) and Wesley B. Tanner (artist), The Book of Benjamin, Berkeley: Arif Press, 1982, Edition of 125 copies, Gift of Patricia G. England