Course

The History of Artists’ Books since 1950

H 155

This course will review the history of twentieth- and twenty-first century artists’ books and related publications, focusing on transformations in publishing that led to deeper engagement among various communities of artists.

  • Instructor(s)
    Tony White
  • Location
    New York City: Grolier Club
  • Date
    12–17 July 2026
  • Length
    30 hours
  • Fee
    $1,495
  • Course ID
    H-155
  • Application Deadline
    Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until course fills. Read more about the application process.

Course Description

Starting in the 1950s and continuing to the present, this course will consider how this genre was formed and what influences it. We will take time to discuss the readings, review selected artists’ books, survey popular book types, and briefly discuss the genre’s obsession with terminology. When considering artists’ books, we will focus on such questions as these: Why is it an artist book? Why this medium? How is it an artist book? We will discuss artist strategies and techniques as we consider how to determine if a book is successful or not. We will review strategies for collection development, create a shared document of resources, and talk through acquisition challenges, handling, exhibitions, and preservation and conservation resources and best practices. This course is appropriate for anyone interested in learning more about this genre of contemporary art and publishing—students, librarians, collectors, archivists, artists, dealers, and others interested in collecting, studying, teaching with, or exhibiting these kinds of books.

In addition to surveying the history of artists’ books and criteria for evaluation, participants will also engage with two experiential learning exercises: 1) producing a collaborative Risograph-printed pamphlet-style artist book in class, and 2) engaging directly with an assigned book. For the latter assignment, students should plan to spend 30-60 minutes each evening after class, Monday to Thursday, engaging with a book they will receive on the first full day of class. Participants will travel (walking, taking the city bus, taking the subway) to various locations around Manhattan that may include a bookstore, public library, private library, a community printshop, and possibly an artist’s studio. In addition, the course will include guest lectures where possible.

Faculty

Tony White

Tony White is the Library Director, Purchase College, the State University of New York. Previous positions include working as University Librarian, Dorothy H. Hoover Library, OCAD University, Toronto, Ontario; Florence …

Advance Reading List

Preliminary Advices

This course is intended as a basic introduction to the recent history of contemporary artists’ books, artists’ publishing, and related book formats.

For students enrolled in this course, please complete all of the required readings.

Read before the course (updated for Summer 2026):

  • Allen, Gwen. Artists’ Magazines: An Alternative Space for Art. Boston: MIT Press, 2011. “The Magazine as an Alternative Space: Art-Rite 1973-1978” (pp. 135-142).
  • Bright, Betty. No Longer Innocent: Book Art in America 1960-1980. New York, NY: Granary Books, 2005. “Introduction,” (pp. 1-15).
  • Bright, Betty. Off the shelf and on-line: computers move the book arts into twenty-first century design. Minnesota Center for Book Arts, 1992. “Thoughts on technology: the book arts, and postmodernism,” by Margot Lovejoy (pp. 9-16).
  • Coplans, John. “Concerning ‘Various Small Fires’: Edward Ruscha Discusses His Perplexing Publications.” Artforum 3, no. 5 (February 1965): 24–25.
  • Drucker, Johanna. “Critical Issues / Exemplary Works.” The Bonefolder: an e-journal for the bookbinder and book artist v. 1 no. 2 (Spring 2005): 3-15.
  • Drucker, Johanna. Figuring the Word: Essays on Books, Writing, and Visual Poetics. New York: Granary Books, 1998. Read “The Myth of the Democratic Multiple” (pp. 175–183) and “Offset: The Work of Mechanical Art in the Age of Electronic (Re)production” (pp. 184–193).
  • Lucius, Wulf D. von, The Artist Book in a Global World. Germany: Stuttgart, 2003. “A mythical animal encountered in unknown lands,” by Didier Mutel (pp. 19-32).
  • Lyons, Joan, ed. Artists’ Books: A Critical Anthology and Sourcebook. Rochester, NY: Visual Studies Workshop Press, 1985. Read “The New Art of Making Books,” by Ulises Carrión (pp. 31-44); “Conspicuous Consumption: New Artists’ Books,” by Lucy R. Lippard (pp. 49-58).
  • Pichler, Michalis, ed. by. Publishing Manifestos. Warsaw, Poland: Miss Read, 2018. “Post-digital print: a future scenario,” by Alessandro Ludovico, 2012 (pp. 132-137); “The Twelve Tasks of the Publisher,” by Jan Wenzel, 2015 (pp. 170-173).
  • Romberger, Kayla. Publishing as Practice. Philadelphia/Los Angeles: Ulises/Inventory Press, 2019. “The Reach of Retail: The Artist’s Bookshop Goes Public,” by Gee Wesley and Lauren Downing (pp. 98-107).
  • Walkup, Kathleen. “Books in a New Language.”
  • White, Tony. “The (R)evolutionary Artist Book” Book 2.0 3, no. 2 (2013): 163–183.

Websites:

Fairs in 2026:

Suggested Reading:

Course Evaluations

2024
2023
2022
2021
2019
2018

Course History

  • 2021

    Tony White teaches this course online (22 hours).

  • 2018–

    Tony White teaches this course in person.