ILLUS-3608

THE ARTIST'S BOOK

Faculty: Judy Sue Goodwin-Sturges

Course Level: Junior, Senior, 5th Year

3 CREDITS

At their very core, all books convey a sequence of ideas, but the execution varies widely from one volume to another. In this course, juniors and seniors strive to extend this concept outside of traditional book parameters to achieve their own creative interpretation. Working from their own themes, students mold an innovative presentation of images and concepts – in two dimensions or three, using concrete depictions or abstract forms – into the construction of their own unique artist’s book. Assignments include the study of different folds, narrative problems, poetic counting, lost and found, and a free project of the student’s choice. Students are encouraged to continue their own media that might include painting, construction, printmaking, etc.

Each week, the class will discuss each student’s books-in-progress. At the end of the course, students will be asked to reconnect with one or several of the previous assignments to craft one book as a final project. This course allows students to display their knowledge of paper and folds, challenges them to convey an idea or theme across many changing pages, and provides considerable practice in bringing conceptual ideas to life. Assignments will include exploration of the following aspects and forms of artists books: paste papers, bookbindings, accordion folds, mazes, flag books, star books, combination books, and variations on the above.