Artist books are arguably one of the most intimate and creative forms of art and by far the most tangible. They defy the standards of art being something you can’t interact with or touch. And don’t be fooled by the term “book” – artist books (although some do come in book form) can take the form of 3D objects, carved pieces, even T-shirts.
Last week SCAD’s Artist Book Competition provided a great opportunity to learn more about artist books and interact with them hands on. The Artist Book Symposium held on May 11th allowed students the opportunity to engage with speakers who are experts on creating artist books and the creative process, as well as the opportunity to make their own artist book in a workshop held by one of these speakers. The following day, Friday, May 12th, was the Artist Book Competition where artist books made by students were put on display around the Trois Gallery (the Gallery within SCAD Atlanta’s ACA Library, with a winner’s table in the center.
The competition may have passed, but this doesn’t mean you don’t have a chance to see them! About 40 of the student artist books were selected to be on exhibition in the ACA library until the beginning of fall quarter. These books were submitted by students from both the Savannah and Atlanta SCAD campuses. Some of them will even be purchased by SCAD to be added to their rare books collection – boasted to be the best in the southeast. Here is a sneak peek at some of the books you might see in the exhibition:
The winners’ table.
This book, “Dog Girl” was my favorite piece. It explored the negative impact being called a ‘bitch’ had on the author.
These nesting dolls (designed by different artists) were part of a large class series in the Illustration Department that one the prize for best class project.
This piece celebrated the artist’s heritage and family members who endured the Holocaust. This book was the first-place winner.
This piece was an interesting take on travel and gave the reader insight on places important to the artist. This piece received one of the honorable mention awards.
This piece was a botanical guide that included real pressed plants.
This author chose to manipulate type in an interesting way and extend the message of this book with creative packaging.
Here are the pieces I submitted! The piece on the left is a mental health awareness advocacy campaign geared towards children, and the piece on the right is a piece about the universality of certain insecurities we all share as human beings. One of these pieces will be featured in the exhibition, although it has not yet been revealed to me which one was chosen.
Be sure to check out the exhibition before it ends in August 2017! Believe me, these pieces will inspire you to create.
For more interesting events and showcases, check out SCAD Libraries page on Instagram!