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influence in the conceptual art movement. He is also credited with popularizing the concept of mass-producing art. Opposed to the fine art concept of exclusivity, Ruscha wanted his work to be disseminated as broadly as possible. When editions of his book sold out, he simply printed more.

By the end of the 1960s, artists around the world were creating an enormous variety of art objects which related to the structure of books. While some consider Maciunas, Roth and Ruscha to be the fathers of the book arts movement, they were by no means its sole architects. Just as in painting and sculpture, the books created by artists could not be defined according to one style or technique. They were made in myriad shapes and sizes, with concepts ranging from the insightful to the amusing and everything in between. Many artists followed the example of Ruscha and issued their books in massive numbers, while others created highly intricate one-offs or limited editions.

By the 1970s, the term “artists’ books” had been coined to refer to the practice of creating original works of art in book form. Expectations were high for the potential of this new medium to move contemporary art into the public domain. Lucy Lippard, an early advocate of the artists’ book movement,

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Collecting Artists’ Books
Artists’ books have many attributes to recommend them in terms of collectibility, not the least of which is their low profile. While they are becoming more popular, especially in academic circles, the field is still wide open, with plenty of interesting and significant material regularly on the market. It is the perfect arena for the independent and adventurous collector who is comfortable making decisions without guidance from established tastemakers. Compared to other art forms and rare books, artists’ books tend to be affordable. Prices vary widely, but quality pieces can be had for less than $100.

Given the many different types of artists’ books, some caution is advisable. Take the time to expose yourself to as many different types of artists’ books as possible to help you define your particular area of interest: consider collecting a single artist, books from a specific time period or books in a particular format. Remember that the range of quality among artists’ books is considerable. Some pieces easily fall into the category of fine art; others clearly do not. This is particularly important in evaluating price. There are no artists’ book price guides and the market is so diverse that it is difficult to assess the worth of any particular book. Therefore, practical factors should inform your decision-making. Consider the condition of a book and the artist’s reputation in other media. Assess the originality of the underlying concept, the complexity of the design, the technical skills employed and the quality of the materials used. Evaluate the piece holistically to decide whether the artist has presented a coherent idea that is well-expressed through its component parts. And be sure to determine if a book is a one-of-a-kind or a multiple. One-offs will typically be more valuable than works sold in a large edition. At the same time, don’t be too concerned with figuring out everything about this extremely diverse market. Even among people who work in the artists’ book world, taste varies considerably. If an artists’ book resonates with you and you can afford it, buy it. Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125
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