 |
 What is an artists book? This is a question every artists bookmaker & publisher gets asked very often. Wikipedia answers it like this: Artists' books (also called bookworks) are works of art realized in the form of a book. They are usually published in small editions, though sometimes they are one-of-a-kind objects. Artists' books have employed a wide range of forms, including scrolls, fold-outs or loose items contained in a box. Although artists have been active in printing and book production for centuries, the artist's book is primarily a 20th century form. The state library of Queensland puts it this way: An artist’s book is an artwork in a book format, or an artwork which has its origin in the form or concept of the book. The term was originally coined to describe books which had their origin in the conceptual art movement of the 1970s. The typical artist’s book today is a limited edition handmade book. The material ranges from lyrical and poetical works, books that take on a sculptural aspect to beautiful examples which blend the creativity of the artist with the technology of today’s computer age. Artists books come in all forms, shapes and sizes, and are made out of a variety of materials including wood, handmade paper and stone. However, the artist Angela Lorenz has written a more complete answer to this question, which is worth reading: www.angelalorenzartistsbooks.com/whatis.htm [back to top] How was A Shoal of Mackerel started? A Shoal of Mackerel is the brainchild of Harald Turek, who wanted to give his artists books an outlet and to have the chance to publish artists books with ISBN numbers. After realising the potential of an artists books publishing house, A Shoal of Mackerel was then founded by Harald Turek, Cecilia Stenbom & Petra-Maria Saarinen in the year 2004. The first booklaunch of 10 artists books took place in 2004 in the CCA - Centre for Contemporary Art, in Glasgow, Scotland. Many other books have been published since, with & withou ISBN numbers... [back to top] How does the funding of the books work? The funding of the book is done by the artists. Sometimes this means the artists is paying for the books himself/herself, but a lot of our artists have secured funding by arts organisations such as the Scottish Arts Council.... [back to top] Who is running A Shoal of Mackerel now? A Shoal of Mackerel is run by 4 artists: Harald Turek and Alex Bettencourt in Glasgow, Scotland & Mari Lagerquist and Lina Persson in Göteborg, Sweden. [back to top] How can I be part of A Shoal of Mackerel? A Shoal of Mackerel is an independent publishing house, specialising in small editions and run by artists for artists. If you feel that your ideas fit in well within our already published books, why not send us an email: ashoalofmackerel@gmail.com .... [back to top] |