Livres d'artistes

What type of document

Livres d’artistes differ from artists’ books, although the distinction between the two is sometimes difficult to ascertain. The Rare Books and Manuscripts Section of the Association of College and Research Libraries defines livres d’artistes as, “…books containing original works of graphic art, usually produced separately from text and binding” whereas, "[a]rtists' books" denotes books viewed as the works of art themselves.” [1] As the name suggests, it began as a French tradition in the 19^th century, continued into the 20^th century, and remains as an art form today. These works were informed by Modernism, and artists as well known as Picasso and Matisse contributed to the genre. [2, 3] Livres d’artistes are often produced in limited editions as a collection of pages, bound or unbound, composed of text accompanied by visual art. However, livres d’artistes are not equivalent to traditional, illustrated books that are mass-produced, as the art of the former are not reproductions, but rather are original, museum-quality prints. [4] Also, the visual art may not necessarily have as concrete of a connection to the written text, but “should be regarded as [the artist’s] free interpretation or the way he or she has rendered the text in visual terms.” [5]

Why is it important in our context

Given that livres d’artistes are works of art in themselves, their importance to information professionals is different than exhibition catalogues, auction and sale catalogues, catalogue raisonnés, and the like. The primary users of these works are the typical consumers of art: collectors, art historians and critics, other artists, students, and the book-and-art-appreciating public. It is not the proper place here to question the importance of collecting works of art in libraries, archives, or museums. Rather, for cultural heritage institutions and professionals, the importance of livres d’artistes lies in the questions that arise due to their uniqueness, including matters of collection development policies, providing access, and required maintenance.

Issues related to collection, access, and maintenance in the art library

Livres d’artistes are mostly afforded special collection status in the institutions in which they are held, and the methods utilized to ensure proper care and maintenance can unfortunately result in limited access to them. [6, 9] Both to combat the issue of access and also owing to their artistic quality, these books are prime candidates for library exhibitions, particularly providing a way to promote the special collections. [6] To reduce the risk of injury to the work, either by inadvertent mishandling from the public or environmental factors, it makes sense to enclose these rare materials behind protective Plexiglas. However, while exhibiting the works in this way at least increases public awareness, it does not address the issue that books are tactile and intrinsically meant to be interactive. [7]

Which pages do the exhibitors choose to display and why? Should these pages be periodically changed during the exhibition in order to show more of the art inside and to mitigate damage from light exposure? What if the livre d’artiste, sometimes made with specially chosen paper and other materials, is meant to be felt or touched? If the work is unbound, should all pages be displayed in an “exploded” fashion? Questions on exhibiting such experimental works can easily fall into debates of what constitutes a book and how to best display works of art while still keeping with the artists’ vision, which is beyond the scope of this writing. Still, such issues must be considered in regards to maintenance and access of these books.

A major access issue concerning livres d’artistes is that of cataloguing. [6, 7, 8, 9] These works span both the world of books and of visual art, defying concrete categorization and often evading the question of “about-ness.” [7, 8] Some institutions choose to catalogue the materials according to more traditional standards, such as MARC, AACR2, the LCSH, and the AAT in order to maintain consistent standards within their collection and to better share their institution’s metadata with others. [6] However, given the uniqueness of these works, sticking to strict procedures does not necessarily lead to successful access. Others catalogue these works according to their institution’s standards reserved for special collections, rare materials, or monographs, which can allow for more flexibility (which is helpful when common components of a book, such as a title page or a publisher, is missing). [7, 8]

The continuing trend of digitizing collections is only going to emphasize the need to come to terms with collection, access, and maintenance of these livres d’artistes. [9] It is likely that each institution dealing with such matters will come to different conclusions with varying success. Only with time, continued effort, and collaboration will best practices regarding the handling of these works in the analogue and digital realms emerge.

Sources Cited

[1] Livres d’artistes. (2014). RBMS Controlled Vocabularies: Genre Terms. American Library Association, Rare Books and Manuscripts Section. Retrieved from http://www.rbms.info/vocabularies/genre/tr557.htm

[2] Fischman, L. (2006). Livres d’artistes: Selections from the Ritter Collection. The University of Arizona Museum of Art. Retrieved from http://www.artmuseum.arizona.edu/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/ritter_gallery_guide.pdf

[3] Livres d'artistes and 20th century fine printed books. (n.d.). St John’s College, University of Oxford. Retrieved from https://www.sjc.ox.ac.uk/1447/Livresdartiste.pdf.download

[4] Mitchell, B. (1967). Beyond Illustration: The Livre D'Artiste in the Twentieth Century. Lilly Library Publications Online. Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington. Retrieved from http://www.indiana.edu/~liblilly/etexts/beyond/

[5] Livre d'artiste. (n.d.). Ketterer Kunst, Art auctions, Book auctions Munich, Hamburg & Berlin. Retrieved from http://www.kettererkunst.com/dict/livre-dartiste.php

[6] Chemero, A. (2000). How Libraries Collect and Handle Artists' Books. Art Documentation: Journal of the Art Libraries Society of North America, (1). 22.

[7] Farman, N. (2008). Artists' books: managing the unmanageable. Library Management, 29(4/5), 319-326.

[8] Vieth, L. S. (2006). The Artist's Book Challenges Academic Convention. Art Documentation: Journal of the Art Libraries Society of North America, (1). 14.

[9] Wilson, T. L. (2002). Collection development policies for artists' books. Art Documentation: Bulletin Of The Art Libraries Society Of North America, 21(1), 27-29.