JITA.l^ THE ;Arts OF THE >aBook * \ THE Arts OF THE >aBook A project devoted to an appreciation of 20th century book arts. September 9 - October 15, 1988 Rosenwaid-Wolf Gallery Haviland Hall and Arronson Gallery Philadelphia College of Art & Design The University of the Arts Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Foreword This exhibition and attendant events are offered in celebration of the arts of the book. The Universi- ty's interest in fostering these arts is part of a long history over a half century, beginning with the legendary Alexey Brodovitch. More recently, in the early 1950s, the late E. M. Benson, then Dean, invited John Anderson tojoin me m estab- Hshing a typographic studio, following us in subsequent years, Eugene Feldman, Louis Gless- niann, Samuel Maitin, Claire Van Vliet, Jim McWilliams and others continued the growth of that spirit and effort. Currently, Professors Ken Hiebert and Lois Johnson have moved to unite Design and Print toward development ofour ad- vanced studios in publication arts. Text/image and the codex form (with its con- temporary inspirations) are meaningful to us and occupy — with our strengthened humanities pro- gram — a central, indeed, poetic position in teaching within The University of the Arts. Ed Colker Provost has been ten years since otir college in Collaboration and Response," which includes, Itmounted a major exhibition devoted among these works, deluxe books, facsimiles, to the book. "Books + Books + and paperbacks m larger editions, in the Haviland Books," held in the fall of 1978, spe- Hall tront gallery; and "A Selection ot Modern cifically focused on fifteen years ofcontemporary European Masterworks trom the Collection ot production books representing 16 presses and 69 Arthur P. Williams," in the Arronson Gallery. graphic designers, illustrators, and printmakcrs The book arts have, in fact, been a part of this based in Philadelphia.* institution's curriculum tor titty -some years. One decade later, this subsequent exhibition They have an exciting future betore them with responds to a much broader range ot books, not the recent establishments ot The Borowsky Cen- only for different curatorial perspective but, m ter tor Publication Arts, which printed this cata- large measure, to reflect the current state ot log, and an MFA Program in Book Arts/ this art. Discussions with many book arts protes- Printmaking. This advanced academic commit- sionals in the course ot preparations tor "The Arts ment to the book brings with it the promise ot a of the Book" brought to attention, time and more regular schedule ot book exhibitions, which again, the idea tVom within the field that the book will hopetlilly address any unintended omissions had "exploded" in recent years, hideed, this of this eftort. seemed to be apparent by noting the impressive Organization of "The Arts of the Book" was number of artists, designers, crattspersons, writ- made possible by the collaborative work ot a resi- ers, presses and publishers, critics, collectors and dent group of book arts specialists, including institutions who are all involved with the book provost Ed Colker, and taculty members Lois M. today. Johnson, Hedi Kyle, Mary Phelan, and Patricia Further research proved the word choice ot M. Smith, Jennifer Woods, and the Exhibitions "explosion" to be most apt, tor it represents a Program staff Our preliminary research began at building dialectical tension in book circles—simi- the Center tor Book Arts and The Museum of lar to the talk of deconstruction elsewhere in the Modern Art, in New York, where executive di- arts—over the basic concept of the book. The ul- rector Cathleen Callander and library director timate challenge, it seemed, was to find an ex- Clive Phillpot, respectively, shared time and re- panded det'inition that could embrace and sources most generously. Mr. Phillpot also wrote comprehend, as books, works of disparate struc- the main essay for this catalog, which considers ture and content; tor example, the traditional the book, in all of its manitestations, through the codex torm of K. K. Merker's Coiiipaiiy, in edi- common denominator of reading. Mary Phelan, tion, with the unique, highly interpretive tabric who is also proprietor of the Blind Hand and Irish sculpture Return, The Turning Point, by Helen C. Pig Presses in Philadelphia, compiled the other Frederick, which are both illustrated on the tol- major text for this publication, which is the lowmg pages. The time was right amid the checklist of all bookworks included in this presen- increasing activities, developments, and tation. With its detailed data, the checklist should evaluations, to undertake a project that would serve as a valuable ret'erence for book arts special- publicly demonstrate this range of concerns and ists and enthusiasts alike. promote an appreciation of 20th century book Other University personnel made \alued con- arts in all of their diversity. tributions to this project, including Anthoii)- "The Arts of the Book" is actually three exhi- Capuano, director of campus operadons; Kirby F. bitions in one: "Five Years of New Bookworks," Smith, associate director of external at'tairs tor a national invitational survey of more than 150 public relations; Anita M. Mastroieni, public rela- bookworks produced by 97 participants over the tions associate; and Patricia Woldar, assistant to past five years, in the Rosenwald-Wolf Ciallery; the provost. Karen L. Cronin, my assistant, han- "Limited Editions Featuring Artists and Writers died the complex logistics and details of coordi- time, the upcoming sesquicentennial anniversary nating the more than 2U(J books for this project ot the invention of photography, a medium that and the exhibition installation with her usual skill. irrevocably changed the history ofbooks and the Joseph Rapone, director of publications design, graphic media in general. had, perhaps, the most difficult assignment ot all, At the end of this century the rapid advance of which was to design this book about many di- new technologies has created a climate of antici- verse books. pation tor new developments in all areas of life. The Center for Book Arts, New York, and This exhibition will have made one of its most our neighbor institution. The Library Company important points if its viewers come away with of Philadelphia, loaned cabinets and cases, which greater admiration for the prolific, contemporary were enormously helpful in solving the problems interpretations of antique and time-honored book of this exhibition's installation design. arts as t"ine letterpress, handmade paper and hand- Of course, the ambition of this project crafted bindings, and if they can see and under- was fully realized by the participation ot artists, stand the precedents and traditions for the myriad presses, publishers, collectors, and institutions forms, possibilities and pleasures ot the new texts. from throughout the country who enthusiasti- cally responded to our invitations and requests Eleni Cocordas with the loan of their books. While most books Director ot E.xhibitions are made for handling and circulation they are, at the same time, among the most private ot art- works with the most personal ot attachments. We *see Kardon, Janet. Books + Books + Books. Philadelphia, Philadelphia College of Art, thank all of our lender participants tor sharing 1978. their books with the University and its public. In 1985. the Philadelphia College of Art and the nearby Designer, book collector and University of the Philadelphia College of the Ftrformmg Arts were joined as Arts alumnus Arthur P. Williams ('39) deserves the Philadelphia Colleges of the Arts. In 1987, this institution our special praise. For years, Mr. Williams has became The University of the Arts. placed his book arts collection and expertise at the disposal ofour immediate academic community. For this, and certainly now with the loan ot mas- terworks from his superb collection tor this pub- lic display, we are most gratetul. Book arts have long tound a comtortable home in Philadelphia, due, no doubt, to the city's centuries-old history in printing, publishing, and the visual arts. "Legacies ot Genius," currently on view at the nearby Historical Society of Pennsyl- vania and The Library Company ot Philadelphia, for example, is based entirely upon the rich and unparalleled holdings of member institutions of the Philadelphia Area Consortium ot Special Col- lections Libraries. The University of the Arts is pleased to have planned its survey ot contempo- rary book arts to coincide with this landmark ex- hibition of historical books and manuscripts. It is also gratifying that the American Printing His- tory Association's 13th annual national confer- ence will take place at The Library Company in Philadelphia during the run of "The Arts of the Book," and that this exhibition anticipates, in a book is defined as a number of Ifpages held together in a sequence, then the principal shared characteristic ot the various kinds of books made by artists is that they can all be read. Indeed, one of the reasons for the special attention accorded to so-called 'artists' books' is that they have ex- panded our notion ot the process ot reading a book. In order to begin to explore what reading might mean in this context, perhaps I can start by polarizing the discussion and suggest that in our engagement with books, we utilize on the one hand linear reading, and on the other random reading. While linear and random reading are not exactly mutually exclusive operations, defining them separately should enable us to better under- stand elements of the reading process. By linear reading I mean the manner in which we might typically read a novel, say. or a biog- raphy. In the case of books in Western languages, we begin at the beginning, march through the book, page by page, left right, left right, and in due course arrive at the end.