Apocryphal, Traditional et al

co-curated by Jon Coffelt and Shannon Morris

As visual arts curators, we embrace the esoteric and the spurious as well as the traditional. It is with this in mind that we selected the 21 contemporary book artists and their works. Within the genre of book arts, there exists a wide array of creations and forms that are presented as books. Apocryphal, Traditional et al presents the works of artists whose ʻbooksʼ were selected for their relevance within this multifarious genre.

 Along with the anticipated and the expected, perhaps the most intriguing details present in this exhibition are those that became apparent as the works were collected within the same space. Although unplanned, these relationships reveal a dialogue that occurs among the works themselves as they also guide the viewer through the stitches, embellishments, architectural structures, painted and printed pages and spiritual references. Additionally, contrasts also lead one to delicate works kept behind glass and vitrines as well as those that beg one to touch, play and interact. Ironically, red became the predominant color within the exhibition as well as a striking contrast to anchor to the printed words, silvery tones, delicate materials, raised textures and transparent pages.

We hope this exhibition relays the continuity presented as each of the artists deals with the idea of the object as book and the book as an intimate expression that carries a distinct message.