Over the past twenty years, we have witnessed a rise in global interest in the photobook as an art form. A burgeoning number of photography book publishers are now a part of the international scene, while at the same time, technological developments have placed more and more tools for creating books placed directly in the hands of artists and photographers. This two-fold growth in the field has been coupled with an academic interest in the history of the photography book, all of which have led to a renaissance in the medium.

Today, many photographers see the photobook as the best and final expression of their work, and many institutions acknowledge this by both collecting and exhibiting photobooks as self-contained art objects.

Darius Himes will discuss the rise of the artist/publisher, small print run publishing houses and the celebration of the photobook in the broader art market today.

From editing and sequencing projects in progress, producing a small-scale introductory booklet, publishing a catalogue, creating a small print run or hand-made artist’s book, each offers unique approaches to showcase your work. Choosing the most appropriate production path is key, be it self-publishing, working with a production team or seeking the expertise of a seasoned publisher.

As your project evolves, your audience will grow and the need for printed pieces becomes increasingly significant. The more you understand the best approach and number of printed works required, the more resourceful you can be in bringing your work to book form, thereby extending the life of your project.

Mary Virginia Swanson will discuss effective and appropriate print options to create at targeted times in your career, from brochures to catalogues to limited editions to monographs, and explain the roles collaborators play in the process of creating impactful photographic books.

Artist, educator, publisher and avid book collector, Philip Zimmermann will present a survey of primarily small print run, photo-based bookworks from his private collection that go beyond using the book merely as a vessel to present individual images.

In this presentation Zimmermann introduces the book form as an original, creative genre incorporating photographic images, coupled with an acute awareness of the artistic possibilities of the book. He shares examples of innovative bookworks created during the past 50 years.

Philip Zimmerman will highlight photographers and artists who use the book form as a central part of their creative projects and as an expressive medium to push photo-based imagery to new time-based narrative frontiers. He will discuss the works of early and contemporary practitioners such as Ed Ruscha, Michael Snow, Joan Lyons and Keith A. Smith to Penelope Umbrico, Cristina de Middel, Alejandro Cartagena and everything in between.

Blending traditional and contemporary practice, Susan kae Grant will discuss photographic artists’ books created in the later part of the 20th century when technology was significantly changing. In this presentation, Grant shares works she selected as curator for the touring exhibition “Photographic Book Art in the United States” including one-of-a-kind, limited edition, electronic, sculptural objects and installation works.

Many of the books were created by photographers investigating the book form for the first time. Experimenting with materials and structures, exploring the interaction of image/text and narrative sequence, these examples use a balance of form & content to compliment, influence, communicate and unify the visual narrative.

This presentation illustrates innovative ways artists integrate images into the bookform, from traditional photography and printmaking to collage, alternative processes, and other experimental methods. These examples inspire one to consider, imagine, and investigate the wide range of possibilities available for making one’s own photographic book.

One of the most important actions a photographer can perform is printing their work. From simple postcards to zines to the formidable photobook, books represent printed artifacts that transcend the Stone Age to the Space Age.

Educator and bookmaker Daniel Milnor believes self-publishing affords the flexibility to experiment, collaborate and create a personal vision in book form. Sequencing and designing pages force the photographer to apply critical thought to the overall narrative, resulting in impactful experiences for the viewer.

In this presentation, Milnor will discuss contemporary on-demand printing options that are fast and fluid, comprising a wide range of choices at nearly any budget. He will expand on these concepts as he walks participants through a myriad of self-publishing case studies, from the one-off to the small print run and beyond. Bring an open mind and be prepared for an adventure in self-publishing and innovative bookworks without creative boundaries.

In this conversational interview, artist Susan kae Grant shares insights with Mary Virginia Swanson into the role of the hand-made photographic artists’ books within her broad studio practice, which also includes prints for the wall and immersive installation experiences.  

Opening the conversation, Mary Virginia Swanson asks: “As a creative project develops, how does an artist determine what medium best suits the final work”? 

Grant shares that the final form is chosen symbolically to represent and unify her intended narrative. She further reflects upon the significance of thorough research, experimentation with materials, collaboration, and industry liaisons on her final bookworks.

The conversation concludes by discussing exhibiting her artists’ books and the placement of her limited-edition books into collections. Grant shares her perspectives on book collecting communities, including private, public, curatorial and academic libraries. The advantages these institutions offer include audience engagement and commitment to appropriate care for the life of a bookwork.

How does an artist give shape to words, substance to memory, or color to music? What is that subtle chemistry that acts upon the viewer to transform familiar materials, words, and images into a new form that is more than the sum of its parts?

That mysterious alchemy of adaptation, reduction, and fusion in the hands of artists is the subject of Ruth R. Rogers’ presentation. Throughout her career as a Special Collections Curator, she has focused her collector’s vision on elevating the communicative potential of the contemporary artist book.

In this presentation Rogers highlights a selection of handmade photographic artists’ books featured in exhibitions she has curated, in particular, Seductive Alchemy (Texas Woman’s University, Fine Arts Galleries). This exhibition’s subject categories provide a framework for participants to follow the innovative pathways these artists employ in producing photographic bookworks that are a true synthesis of high-level craft and lasting content.

Acquisitions by academic librarians offer an important and overlooked resource for your bookworks to be recognized and utilized. In this presentation, Professor Deborah Hollis will share insights into how artistic interpretations of one’s subject matter are integrated within the teaching mission of collecting institutions.

The David H. Tippit Photobook Collection at CU Boulder receives significant use across the curriculum as does a teaching collection of book arts. Rare book librarians partner with teaching faculty to design course-integrated instruction that features subjects of interest and broader genres, specific primary materials and other key elements the bookworks reveal. Hollis shares innovative partnerships with educators across disciplines, seeking ways to teach their subject matter and engage students in the classroom.

Hollis concludes by providing visual examples of works in the collections that underscore how original, subject-driven works enrich the offerings and opportunities for engagement to inspire curiosity, research and creativity.