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Artists' books: Examples from our collection

La Voisin by Sarah Bodman (1999)

A loose leaf book consisting of the imaginary diary of Catherine Monvoisin, provider of potions and services to the court of Louis XIV. Each box is covered in hand printed rose patterned papers and contains a different pharmacists' bottle and a dried red rose wrapped in hand printed tissue papers. - Library copy No.1.

Liver and lights 16: Triptych by John Bently (1994)

First of three visually and thematically linked bookworks. No.16 is a 12 ft fold-out drawing. No.17 is in the form of a cardboard bedroll for use on the city streets by the increasing number of refugees being created in Europe. No.18 is a disguised book hidden in a shoe.

Flower Talk by Catherine Cronin (2003)

Card flower in a box, 11 x 11 cm. Limited edition of 5 signed and numbered copies. - Library copy No.4.

Westfront (Salisbury) and Thereabouts by Hugh Adlam (2004)

Created from one folder sheet, 32 x 12 cm. The large scale photograph that accompanies this book is held in the WSA store.

Fields of Vision by Jos Hadfield (1998)

Handmade paper with holes in bound in a leather wallet.

Cityscape by Amy Hopkins (2007)

Created from one folded sheet: 15 x 29 cm.

Sense and sensibility by Cally Barker (2008)

Knitted and stitched cover for Jane Austen's 'Sense and sensibility' in the Penguin paperback colours of orange and cream. Presented in a cream calico bag.

Finding Gloves by Imi Maufe (2004)

Postcards contained in an orange rubber glove. Postcards show photographs of rubber gloves pegged to washing lines at different locations. This was part of a Scalloway Booth residency collaboration in Shetland.

The Thames pH book by Tracey Bush (2001)

A litmus paper book in which the pages have been dipped in the Thames at various sites on the Environment Agency's weekly 'river run'.

 

A Walk for Stanley by Peter Driver (2019)

A project by artist Peter Driver that encompassed a 39 mile walk from the Stanley Spencer Gallery in Cookham, in the north-eastern corner of Berkshire to the Sandham Memorial Chapel, south of Newbury – one of Spencer’s master works. The 'Walk for Stanley' book includes drawings, woodcut illustrations, photographs, bird sightings and thoughts along Peter's journey. -- Peculiarity Press, 2019.

 

Thirteen Days in Spring : Walking in Relation to the Kindness of Strangers by Peter Driver (2012)

"This book documents a solo pilgrimage walk and art project inspired by the medieval pilgrimage route between Winchester and Canterbury" -- p.3.

Sebastiane Hegarty's Silence on Loan, recorded by Simon Adams on Wednesday 25th August 2021.

"Silence on loan is part of a series of silent editions released by the artist Sebastiane Hegarty. This latest edition takes the form of a single-sided 10" vinyl record. Cut with a silent groove, this record is not a recording of silence, but rather a record of a moment when nothing was recorded.
Silence on loan will be held in the library without the protection of a cover or sleeve, so that the harm and dust, which will settle on its surface, will create an audible record of its time in the collection. The record will bear mute witness, whilst loaning its accumulating silence to the quiet of the library ambience and the shelved voices it holds" - Sebastiane Hegarty

British Butterflies by Tracey Bush (2003)

Book containing butterfly shapes cut out of maps and labelled and displayed in the style of a stamp album.

Real Life With Partner by Jeon-zu Cha (1997)

A bound volume stitched together with red and blue thread, with press studs stitched onto each page. Limited ed. of 8 signed and numbered copies. - Library copy No.4.