In “Critical Issues/Exemplary Works” Johanna Drucker argues that “creating a canon, a critical terminology, and a descriptive vocabulary is a necessary step if artists books are going to come of age.” Janet Zweig and Drucker both argue for the importance of combining artistic and intellectual skills in conceiving of and developing artists books. They are especially critical of book projects which are beautifully produced, yet lack a compelling reason to exist. Do you think their criticism applies to the livres d’artiste that we viewed in Book Sets 5 & 6? Please choose a book from each set to consider in depth, using these questions as a springboard for your analysis:
How do the visual and tactile elements of the book serve to engage the viewer? How do they influence your experience of the book’s content?
What was the project set by the maker(s) in creating this book?
How do the materials and design that s/he chose serve this purpose (or not)?
You may also wish to consider some of the questions that Drucker applies to an artwork in any medium: “Does it move my understanding from one place to another?…Does it open a door of imagination or insight or make a significant argument? Does it fulfill the terms of the problem set by the artist? Was it an interesting problem or initial idea?” When referring to Drucker’s or Zweig’s articles in your blog post, please briefly summarize the idea or argument to which you are responding.
