October 2008    

Fully Booked: Cover Art & Design For Books Editor: Robert Klanten Publisher: Gestalten Verlag $75.00 Cloth (272 p.) ISBN: 9783899552096 B&T     MAJORS      YBP Here is a book about books -- a book about the book as work of art, where the book is not only presenting art, but is the art itself. A collection of artists' books can be considered an art collection of sorts; they can become coveted art objects to be held, studied, and appreciated by many. This book presents descriptions of numerous examples, from the most rare, often existing in an edition of one, to editions which can be easily obtained and collected. It is testament to the field of specialized book design as it exists today from a variety of artists, designers, and firms. One half of the book focuses on current cover design techniques, while the other, flipped and in reverse, focuses on the more experimental aspects of design and book art. The book contains some brief and rather heavy-handed philosophical essays on a variety of book topics. Maria Fusco tackles the role of books in our lives, the pro-active experience, bibliotherapy, the cultural value of books, and includes quotes from Mallarme, Barthes, Carlyle, Eco and others. Fusco holds up Ed Ruscha as the inventor of the modern artists' book with his 'Twenty-Six Gasoline Stations' in 1963. She also writes on the structural shifts which cause us to look more closely at what we are being shown, using the example of Jacques Derrida and his views on the shifting functionality of paper; the transformation of paper from being an industrial commodity, to waste- 'the abjection of litter.' Essayist Katherine Gillieson contributes essays on the limits of design, comparing the problem of showing the book within the book to map-territoriality relationships in cartography. In her essay on the limits of reading, she questions the concept of 'action.' This book is primarily visual however, with multiple inset images and descriptive captions on physical form, intended meanings, etc. I have personally handled a number of these books as part of my work in book description. Here are a few that I have not had the pleasure of handling which stand out in the book: Au(x)pied(s) de la lettre (2007) compares the human foot to the foot of letters in printed type. Tiling Books from Peter Sampson (2006) consists of multiple volumes, intended to be opened to specific pages and when placed atop one another, reveal a larger image. The Smallest Book in the World by Joshua Reichert (2002) is exactly as it sounds: a 2.4 x 2.6 millimeter book featuring an alphabet designed by Reichert, leather-bound in a wooden box and its own magnifying glass. Read Naked from Underware (2002) presents a new typeface in a book designed to withstand a sauna up to 120 degrees Celsius, including some text portions only visible when reaching high temperatures. bauMax Imagebroschure by bauMax AG (2006) presents for its cover, a do-it-yourself seed pack growing kit, which can be sown with seeds and watered. Your House by Olafur Eliasson and May Castleberry (2006) is a large representation of a European house, with laser-cut pages creating a visual and tactile exploration of the residence. Artist Brian Dettmer has used an existing book, Atlas de Biologia, to carve within and around the book's images, moving nothing from its place, leaving a colorful, sculptural work of art. Su Blackwell has similarly created sculpture through cutting and altering of existing volumes. Artist Erin Zamrzla has produced a series of hand-made sketchbooks using items such as tape cassettes, old records, floppy discs, and egg cartons stitched together to create covers. Perhaps the strangest of all however is Christian Hortulany's Living Books. Actual people, each wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with 'Living Book', present a personal dialogue in a cozy atmosphere when 'rented'. These are, however, just a mere fraction of the books described. Considering books such as these, it is my opinion that this book's subtitle doesn't do it justice as the books within are far from the ordinary. -- Jonathan Colcord Published by YBP Library Services 999 Maple St., Contoocook, NH 03229 USA v: 800.258.3774   f: 603.746.5628 w: www.ybp.com   e: academia@ybp.com All rights reserved.