Diane V. Silverthorne (Contributor), Dan Reynolds (Contributor), Megan Brandow-Faller (Contributor)
Die Fläche (Facsimile Edition): Design and Lettering of the Vienna Secession, 1902–1911
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Inspire Me
Artists’ Books
Graphic design isn’t purely commercial. Letterform Archive holds and shares a deep collection of books made from an artist’s point of view.
Books as Works of Art
An artist’s book, in its simplest definition, is an artwork in the form of a book. This can take on countless forms—it might be a bound volume of pages, a sculptural object, or something in between. It may or may not include text (though that’s a focus of the Archive’s collecting scope), and its structure, binding, materials, and printing techniques often become areas of experimentation. Artists’ books are usually handmade, and, given the labor-intensive nature of their production, they are frequently created in limited editions or as unique objects.
Their conceptual nature, and experimentation with structure and movement, introduce a fascinating paradox in how artists’ books are experienced. The intricate craftsmanship of many artist’s books demands careful handling, making them rare and fragile objects. Should they be admired from behind glass, preserved through documentation, or embraced through communal ownership? Freed from the constraints of mass production, artist’s books often take on unconventional forms that challenge traditional notions of what a book can be. This tension between form and function is a defining characteristic of the medium.
Artists’ books are inherently tactile and designed to be interacted with. Their sequential nature often redefines the idea of a book — an experience best appreciated in person. While that physical interaction isn't always possible online, this page offers resources to bring artists’ books from across the world to you. Find here high-resolution images from the Online Archive alongside video page-throughs to inspire your own explorations.
In 2021, Letterform Archive hosted a Type History seminar for California College of the Arts’ Design MFA progam. The following video from that course, presented by sair goetz, offers an excellent introduction to artists’ books through the Archive’s collection.
Glossary
Binding: The act of fastening, securing, or uniting. In artists’ books, the choice of paper stocks and substrates influences not just the visual appeal but also the structural and conceptual design.
Various folding techniques are used to create interactive moments and dimensional effects. Here are a few:
Accordion fold: A single sheet or multiple joined sheets are folded in a zigzag pattern, forming a sequence of connected panels. See Words by Ximena Perez Grobet.
Gate fold: A page is folded inward from both sides, opening like a gate to reveal a hidden panel or expand into a larger spread. See White Verbs by Veronica Schapers.
Pop-up: Carefully cut and folded paper elements spring into 3D shapes when the page is turned, adding an element of surprise. See Poemobiles by Augusto de Campos and Julio Plaza.
French fold: A type of brochure where the piece of paper is folded in half one direction, and then folded in half again perpendicularly to the first fold. See Queer Means of Production by Camp Books.
Drum leaf fold: Invented by Timothy Ely, the drum leaf binding lies open flat and is popular among book artists due to the ability to design books in spreads, allowing imagery to flow seamlessly across the gutter of the book. See Consider Your Phantom Replies by Timothy Ely.
These and many more such folds transform artists’ books into dynamic, multi-dimensional experiences, enhancing both form and function.
Header image: Grass, Kim Su-yong 풀, 김수영, Xianlu Yi, 2019.
Looking for more inspiration?
See our guides to calligraphy and lettering, and fonts and typefaces. More pages to come: sign up to get notified.
Experience the Archive
To dive deeper into these objects, you can request a self-guided research visit or book a guided onsite tour or even a guided online tour of the collection or exhibition for your team or class.
Learn from the Experts
Our lectures, salons, and workshops provide deep dives into topics like artists’ books hosted by skilled practitioners and researchers. Reserve your spot online or catch up with recordings of past events.
Join the Community
The best way to learn more about artists’ books and other works of letter art is to become a Letterform Archive member. Join our worldwide community, attend exclusive meetups, and get member discounts.
Learn about Artists’ Book Collections at the Archive
From interviews with makers and publishers, to insights from curatorial fellows, this section gathers articles on artists’ books and related objects in our collection.
Books on Text and Textile
Vivian Sming, our 2022 Letterform Archive Curatorial Fellow, explores intertwining themes of weaving and language.
Alan Sobrino and Errant Press
Sming interviews Alan Sobrino of Errant Press who distributes and publishes books by Latin American artists, often in bilingual editions.
Thomas Ingmire, Susan Skarsgard, and Suzanne Moore
Discover three contemporary calligraphy artists who blur the lines between visual art and the written word.
Redfoxpress
Based in Ireland, the work of Van Maele and Antic-Ham (or “Franticham”) combines screen printing, photography, ephemera, and poetry, often presented in the form of artists’ books.
Irma Boom on Stage
While most artists’ books are handmade in small numbers, Irma Boom has mastered the opposite: crafting sculptural and surprising books that are manufactured at scale. In this 2019 Letterform Lecture, Boom walks us through each project as she pages through the books themselves.
Contemporary Design of South Korea
Florence Fu talks with Choi Sung Min about the history of Korean visual culture. Pulling from the Archive’s new collection from over 25 design studios around Seoul, their conversation explores a diverse range of experimental work—from posters and ephemera to zines and artists’ books.
R. K. Joshi
Explore the work of an Indian artist and designer who continuously reimagined letterforms. While intended as a promotional piece, Joshi’s Indian Calligraphy Diary could easily be seen as an artist’s book.
Watch Artists’ Books in Motion
The conceptual structure of artists’ books beg to be seen in action. In many of these videos, the Archive’s former librarian, Amelia Grounds presents a few of her favorites from the collection. Click through to each video for more information.
Selected Artists’ Books
دُعا (Prayer) Dua by Halah Khan
Dua is a mixed-media artist’s book by Halah Khan, written—or rather, sewn—in Urdu. She describes it as “a prayer for the possibility of home.” The book itself is tea-washed, lending it a sense of age and memory. Its fabric pages are adorned with delicate embroidery and crocheted flowers, while the cover features a central hand-crocheted taweez (talisman), encircled by intricate golden zarri thread embroidery and framed by a floral header piece.
Priya Pereira
Priya Pereira is an independent artist and book designer known for her experimental and limited-edition artists’ books. Her work explores Indian cultural narratives, language, and typography through unconventional formats, intricate paper engineering, and handmade production techniques. Blending visual storytelling with conceptual depth, she often integrates historical, political, and personal themes, challenging the boundaries of traditional bookmaking. Her creations are highly tactile, pushing the book as an object beyond its conventional role as a mere vessel for text.
Our collection includes her Solar Year Calendar - Perpetual and Sukhi Raho (Stay Happy), seen at left.
Sounds by Keith Godard
Keith Godard’s Sounds offers a tactile and auditory experience of turning pages, using craft paper, tissue, and glassine to create an interactive journey. With minimal text, the materials themselves take center stage, culminating in a surprise finale. Video on the left is Letterform Global Archive Docent Melissa Lee taking us through the artist’s book.
Grass, Kim Su-yong 풀, 김수영 by Xianlu Yi
This 12-page book has a hand-cut silhouette that mimics blades of grass swaying as you flip through its pages. Housed in a wooden cover, it features "Grass" — a poem by Korean poet Kim Su-yong. This limited-edition book is available in both Hangul and its English translation.
Words by Ximena Perez Grobet
Ximena Perez Grobet examines the space of the letter. Using a poem’s same set of letters on every page allows the reader to focus on the rhythm, spacing, and structure that shape both the word and the page. Fittingly, the poem itself speaks about the very idea it embodies — the importance of space in making language possible
Tea Room by Yasutomo Ota
This engaging work by Japanese artist and book designer Yasutomo Ota offers another way of seeing text as shape. Ota frequently engages with themes of language, cultural heritage, and abstraction, using paper, print, and structure as integral elements of storytelling.
For the Voice by El Lissitzky
For the Voice (для голоса), written by Vladimir Mayakovsky and designed by El Lissitzky in 1918, is a masterpiece that merges bookmaking, poetry, and type as illustration. This landmark of constructivist typography is described by April Harper in Utopian Construction: Judaism and the Soviet Avant-Garde.
Consider Your Phantom Replies by Timothy Ely
Like a lot of Timothy Ely's work, Consider Your Phantom Replies contains mostly asemic writing, resembling text yet devoid of semantic meaning, inviting interpretation beyond language. Bound in brown goatskin and housed in a clamshell case, the work incorporates mixed media maps and illustrations using ink, pencil, watercolor, acrylic, and gold. The Online Archive includes several other Ely books from our collection.
Islam Aly
Have a look at the The Archive holds two artist’s books by Islam Aly: Marginalia VI and Al Midan( الميدان ) . Both are bound in laser-etched wooden boards using Ethiopian and Coptic binding with linen thread.
We Are All Speaking at the Same Time by Lukaza Branfman-Verissimo
The work of multidisciplinary artist Lukaza Branfman-Verissimo centers on Black, queer, and feminist perspectives. Their practice spans printmaking, book arts, and installation, often incorporating participatory elements. In 2022, they took part in a salon for Strikethrough, an exhibition examining the role of text in political resistance and activism.
Camp Books
Our Online Archive includes a few highlights from Camp Books, a U.K.-based independent bookseller and archive specializing in rare and historical queer media. Their work focuses on preserving and distributing LGBTQ+ publications, ephemera, and printed materials that document queer histories, activism, and cultural expression.
Our Work is Everywhere:
A Illustrated Oral History
This illustrated oral history of queer and trans resistance was published by Arsenal Pulp Press. This powerful collection weaves together personal narratives, offering an intimate look at the lives and struggles of queer and trans individuals. Through storytelling and vibrant illustrations, the book captures the resilience, joy, and ongoing fight for justice within LGBTQ+ communities.
Spare Parts by Charles Henri Ford
Charles Henri Ford’s iconic 1966 book features “poster poems” inspired by pop culture and executed with ransom-note style typography.
A table of Artists’ Books
Browsing the Online Archive is a great way to find inspiration for your own book ideas. Our Docents put together this Table with some of their favorite artists’ books to help you get started. You could always request an online tour that will give you a curated look into our collection.
Get Books and Gifts Inspired by Artists’ Books and Other Letter Arts
Gennifer Weisenfeld
The Complete Commercial Artist: Making Modern Design in Japan, 1928–1930
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Letter Love: 40 Postcards from the Collection of Letterform Archive
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Type by Bernhard, Excoffon, Novarese: Collected Specimen Booklets (Bundle)
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