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Artists' Books / Book Arts : Artists' Books at UW-Madison

This guide describes artworks which use the book as medium. Additional resources describe the history of this field, the different methods used to create and publish these works, as well as links showing where these books can be found at UW-Madison.

Welcome!

This research guide provides access to book arts materials for artists, students, researchers, and the curious user.

Within this guide, you will find:

  • Information about the Kohler Art Library's Artists' Book Collection
  • Information about researching and viewing artists' books at the Kohler Art Library.
  • Examples of artists' books arranged by theme, structure, and medium.

This guide was created by the Kohler Art Library's special collections graduate assistant Ruth Thomas and Head Librarian Anna Simon. For questions or to request viewing objects in the collection, email askart@library.wisc.edu.

Biblio Tech

Karen Hanmer (2013)

What's Happening with Momma?

Clarissa Sligh (1988)

Grave to Cradle

Hannah Batsel (2021)

Artists' Book Collection at the Kohler Art Library

The Kohler Art Library has an active, growing collection of artists' books representing a broad array of media and subject matter and over 200 presses and artists worldwide. Strengths of the collection include poetry, letterpress printing, and accordion books. There is also a strong presence in the collection of the local Madison, Wisconsin, and upper midwest book arts community, including Silver Buckle Press, Triangular Press, Perishable Press, and more.

Much of the collection can be viewed in the UW Digital Collections, which offers an illustrated, descriptive index to the Artists' Book Collection. Users can browse and search by theme, book structure, type of binding, medium/technique, and contributor. Each title is represented by one to four images that showcase the structure and/or content of the book, creating a "visual finding aid" index.

The Kohler Art Library also hosts the annual Bernstein Book Arts Lecture each fall, bringing in a prominent book artist to speak on their work which is exhibited in the library's gallery space.

Kohler is located on the ground floor of the Elvehjem Building directly across from the Chazen Museum of Art (and connected by sky bridge). Our entrance is on the north side of the building. Faculty, students, and the general public are encouraged to explore the collection in person! A selection from the collection is exhibited in the library, and appointments can be made to view more by emailing the Art Library at askart@library.wisc.edu.

UW-Madison Special Collections

The Department of Special Collections at UW-Madison also has a large collection of artists' books, many of which are also categorized as fine and private press books. These can be searched through the Library Catalog but are not in the UW Digital Collections visual database.

Special Collections also holds a wide-ranging collection of materials describing the broader history of the book.

A highlight of the Private Press Collection is a complete holding of Walter Hamady's Perishable Press Limited output, including the production archive for the book Flora by Ann McGarrell. The Department also holds archival material relating to the seminar course which assembled the notable 1983 exhibition at the Chazen (then Elvehjem) Museum of Art titled Breaking the Bindings: American Book Art Now. 

In 2013, Special Collections acquired archival materials from the Woodland Pattern Book Center in Milwaukee, WI, an important literary hub which maintains strong ties to bookmakers and writers throughout the state. Additionally, the Lothar Meggendorfer Collection contains approximately 100 specimen sheets and other printed items related to the pioneering work of the19th/20th century German movable book designer.

The Department of Special Collections is located on the 9th Floor of UW-Madison Memorial Library. Materials can be requested via an online request system and viewed in their reading room.