Art Studio: Making Artists' Books

Exploration of various themes and/or media. Representative topics: Making Artist's Books; Gesamkunstwerk from Scratch. May repeat for credit with different content. Topics vary by offering; periodic offering at intervals that may exceed four years. Prerequisite: ARTS 1010, ARTS 1011, ARTS 1014, ARTS 1100, or ARTS 1400.

Prereqs enforced by the system: ARTS 1010, or 1011, or 1014, or 1100, or 1400; SART, AHST, ARTE majors only during the first week of registration;  CAS ARTS, ARTH minors only for the following 3 days; Non-CAS minors for the following 2 days; then all restrictions will be removed; Minimum sophomore standing. PACE students with permission and override. Fee: $100.00

n this course, we will explore traditional and experimental modes of bookmaking from a visual art perspective. Playing with the book form as a familiar sculptural object and container for visual and textual works will begin with learning foundational structures such as the accordion fold and pamphlet-stiched book, then progressing through exploration of more complex paper folding and stitching techniques. This course will explore paper embellishment techniques such as marbling, paste paper, printing (monotype and block), and cyanotype. In conjunction with the book structure, themes of activism, social/political/environmental issues, and identity will be explored through viewing, discussing, and making books. Expression and experimentation with media, image, text, and scale will be encouraged throughout the course through assignments, readings, presentations, and visits to the UVM special collections

After completing this course, the student will be able to: • Demonstrate an understanding of the historical and the contemporary context of the Artists' Book. • Apply traditional and experimental bookbinding techniques to personal work. • Conceptualize and create personally driven projects through the production of artist books

Zine: Pursue the intersection of book arts and activism by exploring the arrangement of text and visual information in an easily produced format. Series of 3: Sustained Investigation (either focus on sewn binding or folding techniques). Chose to investigate either folding or sewing binding techniques and visual media and theme of your choosing. Develop a visual language that fits your theme; a style and book format appropriate to your visual work. Alternative Materials Book: Create a book made from a nontraditional material to push the boundaries of what books can be made of. Final Project- Identity and the Book: Self-designed inquiry- must include: mock-up, documentation of research, articulated theme, and exploration: synthesize your knowledge of materials and form with the development of a conceptual book idea.