The Epistolary Form: a Familiar Fiction
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The Epistolary Form: A Familiar Fiction by Krista Sharp BFA in Art and Visual Technology, January 2005, George Mason University A Thesis Submitted to The Faculty of The Columbian College of Arts and Sciences of the George Washington University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts May 15, 2016 Thesis directed by Kerry McAleer-Keeler Associate Professor of Art and the Book © Copyright 2016 by Krista Sharp All rights reserved ii Acknowledgements I would first like to thank my instructors at the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design at George Washington University. Their dedication and unwavering support has guided me throughout my time in this graduate program. I would like to especially thank my thesis advisor and program director Kerry McAleer-Keeler who was always available when questions needed to be answered and provided invaluable feedback. I would also like to thank Mark Dimunation and the entire staff in the Rare Book Reading Room at the Library of Congress for their help suggesting and finding some of the artists’ books that are explored within this paper. Finally, I must express my very profound gratitude to my parents for providing me with unlimited support and continuous encouragement throughout my studies. And a very special thank you to my husband, Craig Miller and my daughter Charlie who put up with the late nights and weekends away at studio in order for me to pursue my passion. Without you both none of this would be possible or worth it. Thank you. iii Abstract of Thesis The Epistolary Form: A Familiar Fiction During the 18th century, the novel was criticized for a lack of representation of reality and in turn a public distrust of fiction was established. The epistolary form addressed these issues by presenting a narrative that was bound by a real-life structure that allowed for the illusion of reality and authenticity. Today, this distrust of fiction is nonexistent but the epistolary form is still present and a frequently used literary device, providing the real-life structure for an escape from reality. However, while commercial fiction has embraced the form and moved past the historical justification of the epistolary novel, most artists’ books have not. This paper will prove how the artist book has struggled to move past the historical epistolary form and what lessons it can take from the world of contemporary commercial fiction. iv Table of Contents Acknowledgements ..................................................................................... iii Abstract ...................................................................................................... iv List of Figures ............................................................................................. vi Introduction ................................................................................................. 1 Epistolary Discourse .................................................................................... 3 Epistolary History ........................................................................................ 7 The Contemporary Epistolary Form ............................................................ 13 The Epistolary Form in Commercial Fiction .................................................................. 13 The Epistolary Form in Artists’ Books ............................................................................ 18 Conclusion ................................................................................................. 27 Figures ....................................................................................................... 29 Bibliography .............................................................................................. 63 v List of Figures Figure 1. Nick Bantock, Sabine’s Notebook, 1992. Collection of the author. Photo by author .................................................................................................................. 29 Figure 2. Nick Bantock, Griffin & Sabine: An Extraordinary Correspondence, 1991. Collection of author. Photo by author ............................................................................... 29 Figure 3. Nick Bantock, Sabine’s Notebook, 1992. Collection of author. Photo by author .................................................................................................................. 30 Figure 4. Nick Bantock, Griffin & Sabine: An Extraordinary Correspondence, 1991. Collection of author. Photo by author ............................................................................... 30 Figure 5. Nick Bantock, Griffin & Sabine: An Extraordinary Correspondence, 1991. Collection of author. Photo by author ................................................................................ 31 Figure 6. J. J. Abrams and Doug Dorst, S., 2013. Collection of author. Photo by author ..................................................................................................... 32 Figure 7. J. J. Abrams and Doug Dorst, S., 2013. Collection of author. Photo by author ..................................................................................................... 33 Figure 8. J. J. Abrams and Doug Dorst, S., 2013. Collection of author. Photo by author ..................................................................................................... 34 Figure 9. J. J. Abrams and Doug Dorst, S., 2013. Collection of author. Photo by author ..................................................................................................... 35 Figure 10. J. J. Abrams and Doug Dorst, S., 2013. Collection of author. Photo by author ..................................................................................................... 36 Figure 11. J. J. Abrams and Doug Dorst, S., 2013. Collection of author. Photo by author ...................................................................................................... 37 Figure 12. J. J. Abrams and Doug Dorst, S., 2013. Collection of author. Photo by author ..................................................................................................... 38 Figure 13. Maureen Cummins, Far Rockaway, 2005, Coptic bound book with loose printed letters in a box, 10” x 7”. Artists’ Books Collection, Rare Book and Special Collection Division, Library of Congress. Photo by author ............................................... 39 Figure 14. Maureen Cummins, Far Rockaway, 2005, Coptic bound book with loose printed letters in a box, 10” x 7”. Artists’ Books Collection, Rare Book and Special Collection Division, Library of Congress. Photo by author ............................................... 40 Figure 15. Maureen Cummins, Far Rockaway, 2005, Coptic bound book with loose printed letters in a box, 10” x 7”. Artists’ Books Collection, Rare Book and Special Collection Division, Library of Congress. Photo by author ................................................ 41 vi Figure 16. Maureen Cummins, Far Rockaway, 2005, Coptic bound book with loose printed letters in a box, 10” x 7”. Artists’ Books Collection, Rare Book and Special Collection Division, Library of Congress. Photo by author ............................................... 42 Figure 17. Maureen Cummins, Far Rockaway, 2005, Coptic bound book with loose printed letters in a box, 10” x 7”. Artists’ Books Collection, Rare Book and Special Collection Division, Library of Congress. Photo by author ............................................... 43 Figure 18. Maureen Cummins, Far Rockaway, 2005, Coptic bound book with loose printed letters in a box, 10” x 7”. Artists’ Books Collection, Rare Book and Special Collection Division, Library of Congress. Photo by author ............................................... 44 Figure 19. Susan Allix, Blitz, 2014, leather bound book with letterpress printed type, burnt pages, photographs and aquatints, 33cm x 28cm. Artists’ Books Collection, Rare Book and Special Collection Division, Library of Congress. Photo by author .................. 45 Figure 20. Susan Allix, Blitz, 2014, leather bound book with letterpress printed type, burnt pages, photographs and aquatints, 33cm x 28cm. Artists’ Books Collection, Rare Book and Special Collection Division, Library of Congress. Photo by author .................. 46 Figure 21. Susan Allix, Blitz, 2014, leather bound book with letterpress printed type, burnt pages, photographs and aquatints, 33cm x 28cm. Artists’ Books Collection, Rare Book and Special Collection Division, Library of Congress. Photo by author ................... 47 Figure 22. Susan Allix, Blitz, 2014, leather bound book with letterpress printed type, burnt pages, photographs and aquatints, 33cm x 28cm. Artists’ Books Collection, Rare Book and Special Collection Division, Library of Congress. Photo by author .................. 48 Figure 23. Susan Allix, Blitz, 2014, leather bound book with letterpress printed type, burnt pages, photographs and aquatints, 33cm x 28cm. Artists’ Books Collection, Rare Book and Special Collection Division, Library of Congress. Photo by author .................. 49 Figure 24. Susan Allix, Blitz, 2014, leather bound book with letterpress printed type, burnt pages, photographs and aquatints, 33cm x 28cm. Artists’ Books Collection, Rare Book and Special Collection Division, Library of Congress. Photo by author .................. 50 Figure 25. Susan Allix, Blitz, 2014, leather bound book with letterpress printed type, burnt pages, photographs and aquatints, 33cm x 28cm. Artists’ Books Collection, Rare Book and Special