The Artist's Book—livre d’artiste, first coined by critic Noël Clement-Lanin, refers to books entirely created and realized by artists. Departing from the traditional order of books, beyond uniform fonts, spacing, margins, and layouts, perspectives gradually shift away from conventional reading experiences. Artists, as authors, replace editors and publishers.
In the latter half of 2023, Absolute Space Art Salon is presenting the Artist's Book series, exploring from both broad and specific perspectives. We first invite artist Chang Wen-Hsuan to lead a one-day workshop titled "Contradictive Zine." In this workshop, Chang Wen-Hsuan traces the historical context and development of zines and shares case studies from her own exploration in Peru. By compiling zines from different eras, countries, and themes, participants gain deeper insights into the origins of this underground publishing phenomenon from the last century. Additionally, participants will be guided to create their own zine during the course.
The second workshop in the Artist's Book series will be led by Tsai Yin-Chin, curator of the Artist Book Archive (ABA) at Paper Matter. Titled "Artist Book Memoir: Memory and Identity," this workshop comprises lectures, discussions, and bookbinding sessions, allowing participants to grasp the concepts and contexts of artist book creation. The theme of "Memory and Identity" is explored in the creative process. Suggestions and references for continuous artist book creation are also provided.
Continuing our exploration of bookbinding, the third workshop in the latter half of the year features artist and independent writer Lin Yi-Kuan. Lin shares her personal brand "Yi-Kuan Publishing," which incorporates natural elements into book design concepts and patterns. The course focuses on readily available plant materials in the surrounding environment, introducing the construction of tree bark cloth and papermaking materials. Participants are encouraged to learn about the relationship between leaf morphology and growth factors, utilizing their diverse leaf shapes to design cover patterns for hand-bound books.
In the final session of this series, Absolute Space Art Salon has invited illustrator Wang Chuen-Tz to explore the process of generating content for picture books through shared reading and discussions. Wang also guides participants in creating their own picture books to deepen their understanding of this creative genre through mutual sharing of finished works.
In addition, at the end of 2023, Absolute Space Art Salon continues the series of "History of Materials" and opens a workshop led by artist Chou Ying-hsuan, a graduate of the Department of Fine Arts at Taipei National University of the Arts and the Institute of Applied Arts at Tainan National University of the Arts. Starting with commonly found Taiwanese horticultural plants, Chou teaches participants methods for handling dyeing materials and extracting pigments. Through practical exercises, participants are expected to become familiar with techniques such as tie-dyeing, heat dyeing, and media dyeing.
Courses
08/05 | Chang Wen-Hsuan, Contradictive Zine Workshop
09/10 | Tsai Yin-Chin, Artist Book Memoir: Memory and Identity
09/24 | Chou Ying-hsuan, History of Materials: Common Garcinia Bandana Shibori Workshop
10/22 | Lin Yi-Kuan, Paper Construction: Leaf Book Binding
11/04 | Wang Chuen-Tz, Wandering Among Book Pages
