In
most of Europe, writing was done on parchment, made from
sheepskins, or on vellum, made from calfskin. During
the Middle Ages, monks would work in the scriptorium of the monastery, patiently creating books by hand on
parchment or vellum. Usually one monk was in charge of
laying out the guidelines, one did the calligraphy, a
third did the illumination, and a fourth did the gilding.
The covers were made of leather or carved, inlaid wood.
Printing also had its origins in Asia. By the sixth
century, carved wood blocks were being used for printing,
and by the 11th century, the Chinese were using moveable
type. In Europe, the first moveable type was used by
Gutenberg in 1483. With the development of moveable
type,
the production of books became a booming business.
Artists have always played a role in the creation of
books and continue to do so today. From earliest times,
artists have created illustrations, beautiful bindings,
artistic fonts for alphabets, and page formats. But what
we call artist’s books today are different. Contemporary
book artists take on the production of books as art objects
in the form of books. They may use unusual or familiar
materials and formats, but they are especially interested
in the way that the text, illustrations, paper, type,
page format covers, and book binding all work together
to express a visual message.
Some book artists, like Kristy Higby, design, typeset,
illustrate, print and bind their books, taking on roles
that are usually shared by many different people. Other
book artists, like Steve Miller, see their role as the
one that oversees the whole process of bookmaking. Miller
does his own typesetting, and printing and often makes
his own paper, but he works with authors, illustrators
and bookbinders to complete the entire collaborative process.
Would you like to make a book of your own? What would
it be about?
What would it look like? What materials would you use?
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