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About the Artists' Books
While Wikipedia defines artists’ books as “works of art realized in the form of a book,” it is difficult to find a universally agreed-upon definition of the genre. Scholar and art historian Johanna Drucker calls this type of book “the quintessential 20th century art form,” but admits that a catch-all description is elusive. Artists’ books are, in many ways, works of art…but are they books?
Many don’t have words, some have no covers, others cannot be read in a traditional “linear” fashion. But book artists, collectors, librarians, and lovers of these lovely, hard-to-pinpoint art works all agree: artists’ books belong in libraries, and the UM libraries have been collecting artists’ books for over 15 years. Our collections encompass some of the finest examples of the form, including the work of local artists.
Catalog Records for Artists' Books
(Index forthcoming)
