The Book & Publication Arts program emphasizes both the book as an art form (from artist’s books and fine press printing to sculptural and abstract bookworks) as well as the field of publishing as artistic practice (from zines to a myriad of other publications that lean towards the idea of the democratic multiple as a means of artistic agency within contemporary culture). The program focuses on the many shapes and forms the book has taken throughout history and across cultures as a way of envisioning the future of the book and publishing as artistic expression. Students study contemporary artists and publishers working in the field, as well as the many artists and historic art movements that have used books and prints as a way of expressing and disseminating their ideas.
This program is interdisciplinary in nature and mixed-media in its approach while exploring both digital media along with hand-skills and craft. Students learn the history of graphic design and fine typography through letterpress printing from metal and wood type on our historic presses from the 19th and 20th centuries along with the newest design tools in both our studio and in the department’s fabrication lab. This program combines both the literary and visual arts with the history and evolution of book and print technologies, all with an eye towards developing one’s artistic voice and an understanding of book and publication arts within a contemporary art practice.
*Student work by Kalsey Lee