Off the Shelf: New Forms in Contemporary Artist’s Books

Over the course of the last ten years artists have expanded the terrain of the artists' book, taking the format to new limits. Artists such as Jonathan Callan, Paul Noble, and Brian Belott manipulated found books to invent new objects that have been transformed by the artists' hands and imaginations. Beatriz Milhazes, Francesca Gabbiani, and Russell Crotty crafted new books that illustrated texts that they found meaningful, from poems and songs to the artists' own musings. Simon Evans' works were harvested directly from his sketchbooks and show evidence of his obsessive process that involved scotch tape, correction fluid, and numerous layers of words and images.

This exhibition included work by thirteen international artists working today who create books alongside their other output, including painting, drawing, photography, and sculpture. The artists' books included represent a diverse range of expression, yet they share a remarkable consideration for the craft of making an art object in the form of a book, with a focus on craftsmanship and attention to detail. Many of the books incorporate layered collage or hand-drawn, hand-painted, or hand-cut pages, resulting in unique objects and very small editions. Books by the following artists were included: Brian Belott, Jonathan Callan, Russell Crotty, Miriam Dym, Simon Evans, Francesca Gabbiani, Carlos Garaicoa, David Hammons, Beatriz Milhazes, Takashi Murakami, Paul Noble, Monique van Genderen, and Martin Wilner.

Organized by the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center, the exhibition and its brochure were conceived by curator Mary-Kay Lombino. The exhibition was sponsored by the Friends of the Frances Lehman Loeb Exhibition Fund. There are works that appeared in this exhibition that were loans to the Loeb and therefore do not appear on this website.