#FAQFriday: What is an artist book?

A few years ago I was fortunate enough to be invited to teach a masterclass on artist books at the prestigious l’Armadillo Associazione Culturale in Florence, Italy. 

Many of my artist books feature inspiration from my trips to Italy, where I usually work for a few months each year, and include the amazing people and beautiful landscapes. I hope that one day in the future I have the opportunity to return to Florence and continue this practice.

People visiting my studio are often drawn to opening and examining my collection of artist books, but almost everyone has the same question: What are they?

Similar to a visual journal, an artist book is a means of interpreting and recording travel, events, inspirational thoughts and objects. 

Artist books are artworks in themselves, but the concepts recorded in an artist book may be expanded later into larger artworks.

An artist book can take the viewer further along a journey than a single picture - they are an insight into an artist’s innermost thoughts and workings.

The artist book harks back to creating a handmade object of value - not something mechanically mass-produced, but something quiet and personal, available only to the few holding them.

There is value in creating a physical, hard copy book that does not apply to the fast-paced electronic day-to-day society, and I find great satisfaction in being able to produce something that tells a personal story.