Artists' Books

This professional artist's books collection is housed in the Fleet Library Special Collections department. Special Collections includes nearly 18,000 important and rare printed books and periodicals that date from as early as the 16th century to present. Historical as well as contemporary materials cover the fine arts, architecture, photography, decorative arts, and design and provide supplemental and inspirational resources for students, faculty, and outside researchers.

The physical Artists’ Books Collection includes nearly 2,000 multiples, hand-made book objects, limited edition books, and zines dating from the mid-1960’s to present. The collection also includes numerous related book arts references and artists’ ephemera files. Featured collections include bookmaking process archives of internationally known book artists Carol Barton, Ruth Laxson and Angela Lorenz. This digital collection presents an abridged preview of each book. Visit 2nd Floor, Rm. 201 of the Fleet Library or contact risdspecial@risd.edu to view the collection in its entirety.

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Sample Book

Sheryl Oppenheim, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

28 unnumbered pages : all color illustrations. Paper cover, staple binding, full color digital printing. Unlimited edition. Publisher, edition, and materials information from publisher's website. "'Sample Book' by Sheryl Oppenheim playfully explores the collision of east and west through digital collages and juxtapositions colorful marbling patterns produced in her studio. Using suminagashi and western marbling techniques, the artist creates a new visual tension between craft and contemporary art." --Small Editions NYC.
Visa and Solo

ottoGraphic, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

1 volume, 24 pages. "A complex screen printed folding book inspired by the Russian Constructivist designs of the 1930.. social commentary on the perils of shopping, and the evils of the credit card."--publisher website. Edition statement from publisher's website. "The book depicts a visual narrative on supermarket shopping. It explores the effect of shopping on human relationships. Solo and Visa are the names of the protagonists as well as brand names of the products. The concertina fold can be opened in more ways than one, but page numbers help to follow the story. Otto created it in 2011 to accompany an exhibition at Bath Artists Studios, for which he designed wallpaper and signage. It is screen printed using blue and red on yellow card. On one side of the card the blue is opaque and the red transparent, on the other side the red is opaque and the blue transparent."--Information provided by the artist by email 16 September 2013.
Peeping Tom

Radha Pandey, Eric Gjerde, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

1 sheet : illustrations. Title from enclosure cover. 1 sheet (40 x 14 cm) folded twice to (14 x 14 cm) in folded paper cover. "Origami tessallation designed by Eric Gjerde ; printed, illustrated & executed by Radha Pandey, fall 2012." "To fully enjoy this act of voyeurism, push each square up from its sides and pinch in the white corners."--Colophon slip laid in. Artist's Book Fund.
59 Dreams: A Nocturnal Year

Teresa Pankratz, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

1 volume (unpaged) : illustrations. Edition of 250 numbered copies signed by the artist. "This book documents my year of dreaming: 59 portals into recalled nocturnal activities, witnessing a dream-self performing grand, heroic amd sometimes incomprehensible acts--hours and hours of accumulated living time, previously unaccounted for."--Introduction. "I wanted to make an affordable limited edition artists' book. I designed 59 Dreams: A Nocturnal Year to hold my original drawings and text--and be this book. It's custom printed and bound by Lowitz & Sons, Inc., Chicago, using Gil Sans Light on Mohawk Superfine ..."--Colophon. Perfect bound with French flaps and soft touch laminate cover. Issued in a hand-made paper slipcase. Mounted hand-printed silkscreen illustration on slipcase. Library has copy no. 109.
Into the Night

Teresa Pankratz, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

1 volume (unpaged) : illustrations. Edition of 15 numbered copies signed by the artist. Hand-printed lithograph tunnel book. "This book was conceived, hand-rendered & bound by Teresa Pankratz -- after a year of dreaming. The 7 original, hand-drawn lithographs were processed & hand printed on Rivers BFK & Mohawk Superfine by Hoofprint Workshop Chicago's inimitable litho expert, Gabe Hoare. The handwritten silkscreened colophon was processed & hand printed by Hoofprint partner Liz Born. ..."--Colophon on back cover. Library has copy no. 3.
Invisible labors : reviving histories of women's land work in the Blue Island Ridge communities, Chicago, Illinois

Susannah Papish, Mellissa H. Potter, Jacob Lindgren, 3Arts Artists Projects, Columbia College, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

6 pages in folded accordion book : illustrations ; 4 postcards + 1 paper insert. "Invisible Labors was printed in a risograph edition of 50 as well as a deluxe edition of 50."--Colophon "To honor the little-known contributions of Chicago's early women agricultural and cultural workers, [Susannah Papish collaborated] on a new publication entitled Invisible Labors, inspired by a recent research and garden project in the Morgan Park and Beverly neighborhoods formerly known as The Ridge. This book [weaves] together historical archives, photographs, and original new artwork that creatively interprets the crucial role that women have played in working and stewarding land in [Chicago]." -- 3arts.org/projects/invisible-labors/ Accordion fold with four signature sewn into each of the four folds. Library has copy no. 18 of the deluxe. Deluxe edition includes two sets of postcards, signed paper reproduction of back cover illustration (21 x 13 cm), and cardboard poster tube with two rolled posters. Deluxe edition contains handmade burdock paper insert . Three-color risograph. SEI
In today's news: alpha males & women power

Kaamna Patel, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

1 volume, 46 pages . "Reappropriates images from print media in India to comment on patriarchy and gender roles."--colophon. Title from last page of book. "Image sources : Mumbai Samachar, Janmabhumi, Mumbai Mirror, Mid-day, Times of India, Hyderabad Times." In Todays News: Alpha Males and Women Power is a photobook by Kaamna Patel wherein she appropriates images from print media in India to comment on prevalent patriarchies and pre-determined gender roles. Using the semiotics of images, In Todays News attempts to reveal the dominant ideology of a people at a particular time in their history, while leaving room for the reader to uncover their own biases that may be informed, consciously or subconsciously, by this ideological structure.--Printed Matter.
Bottom of the Lake = Fond du Lac

Christian Patterson, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

68, 175 pages : illustrations (some color). Bottom of the Lake is a 256-page facsimile of the artist's family's telephone book for his hometown of Fond du Lac, printed in 1973, soon after his birth. The book includes found markings and reproductions of inserted materials, along with Patterson's own drawings, photographs and marginalia. Bottom of the Lake is a book within a book that carefully combines the original, found, fact-based phone book with the artist's highly subjective re-imagination of his hometown; it playfully juxtaposes different documentary forms and ways of seeing to create a deeply personal, darkly humorous other book. In addition, the experience of the book is extended beyond its pages by an interactive feature -- a telephone number attached to the book that connects users with over 100 experiences mixing field audio recordings, found archival audio and performances that re-imagine and re-create the artist's hometown. Curated title for Fleet Library Special Collections exhibition Stacked & Altered, summer 2022.
Unbound

Jessica Peterson, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

1 volume (unpaged) : color illustrations. Cover title. Limited edition of 100 numbered copies. "'Unbound' was designed and produced in a single month. The typefaces are Sabon and Scala Sans. The text is letterpress-printed on handmade cotton and abaca paper."--colophon. "Unbound is a limited edition artists' book which honors the veterans of Prince Edward County's 1959 school lock out ... The book was conceived and designed by artist Jessica Peterson and recounts the closing of the public schools in Prince Edward County, Virginia, from 1959 to 1964. Unbound tells this story of these events with timelines, archival evidence, and collected narratives from the veterans of the closings. Gold stars flow through each page, one star for each person whose life was permanently altered by the school closings"--Publisher's statement at the Vamp and Tramp Booksellers' website, viewed on February 13, 2015. "In the fall of 1959, the public schools in Prince Edward County, Virginia were closed in response to a court order to desegregate. The schools remained closed for five years. Many white children began attending a system of private schools established by the Prince Edward School Foundation. As permitted by state law, tuition for these schools was almost completely subsidized by the government. No one elected to attend the private academy for black students organized by the same group of white leaders. Approximately 4,000 children in Prince Edward County waited five years for the public school system to open, as lawsuits about the intersection of public education and race circulated through the state and federal courts ... Unbound is a tribute to the veterans of the 1959 school lock out, individuals who have carried their scars with grace for the last fifty years, with hope that they will continue to share their stories"--Introduction and Colophon. Double-sided accordion-folded pages with two fold-out signatures are letterpress printed on both sides with text, gold stars, and a timeline. Accordion is attached at either end to letterpress printed boards. Library has copy number 78.
Gold and Silver Do Not Spoil

Robert Peters, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

70 unnumbered pages : illustrations (some color). Single signature stapled into a paper wrapper with cut-out in the front cover revealing part of a photograph on the title page. Offset printed text and images on the theme of money and society. Cut-out in back cover reveals text from last page. "Text compiled from the following authors: Ansel Adams, Aristotle, Samuel Beckett, Charlie Chan, Mary Douglas, Jules Henry, Robert L. Heilbroner, Ann Landers, Claude Levi Strauss, John Locke, Judith Martin, Karl Marx, Octavio Paz, John Ruskin, George Simmel, Herbert Spencer, Abigail Van Buren, Vtgoysky, Ludwig Wittgenstein and others"--Colophon. "This book was produced by Jim Snitzer ... at the University of Iowa's Offset Workshop."--colophon. Signed on the title page by the author. Gift of Estera Milman, RISD Class of 1970. Estera Milman (RISD BFA Painting/Printmaking and Film, 1970) scholar of post-World War II avant-garde art. Founded Alternative Traditions in Contemporary Art (ATCA) at the University of Iowa, 1982, and served as its director until 2000. She is the author of many books, articles, interviews, and exhibition catalogs on Fluxus and No!art. In December 2018 she donated a selection of books from her library to the Fleet Library at RISD. Curated title for Fleet Library Special Collections exhibition By Hand: Women & Books Exhibit fall, 2021.
Abracadabra: an homage to N.H. Werkman

Werner Pfeiffer, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

2 dimensional flexagons and corresponding loose plates, enclosed in a four sided, cloth covered shaped portfolio; cover; various elements; detail; flat view of flexagon structure; detail. A tribute to the life and work of N.H. Werkman, noted German Graphic Designer. As Werkman playfully used text and letter forms as image, the flexagons revolve to reconfigure each composition.
Alphabetica II: explorations around the alphabet by senior design students at Pratt Institute in New York

Werner Pfeiffer, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

French fold pages hand sewn and glued, with paper cover; cover; interior spreads and title page. 12 students in Pfeiffer's class at Pratt Institute created this digital alphabet book.
B

Werner Pfeiffer, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

accordion fold, machine sewn, volvelle, match book structure, folded broadsides, all enclosed in a hinged plastic box with an elastic cord and plastic bead closure; cover; interior pages and spreads; four small books. Sampling of book works made by 9 Pratt Institute students in Pfeiffer's class, featuring the historical, culinary, ethnic, natural, and cultural diversity of Brooklyn.
Pickings

Werner Pfeiffer, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

scroll, machine stitched French fold pages, cards in envelope, shredded book pages, kaleidoscope structure, 4 sided fold out accordions, all housed in a brown paper bag; exterior (bag); colophon; first opening; contents of bag; . 9 artists' books made by students of Werner Pfeiffer as part of an exhibition celebrating 50 years of book arts at Pratt Institute.
ZiPo : an exploration of language in unusual juxtapositions

Werner Pfeiffer, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

1 case. Alternate Titles: Wooden Clouds; Woo_den\c·loud}s Poems. Title from box cover. Edition limited to 50 numbered and signed copies. "Of the infinite number of possible combinations of 'Wooden Clouds' fifty variations have been selected to correspond with the number of editioned books as shown in the samples here. The composition with the red marker [on inside bottom of case] is the dedicated arrangement for this copy."--Colophon, verso. Red and orange cloth case with front panels that close with a central zipper. Laid into case: 3 unfolded sheets (title page, preface, colophon) and 12 panels, each panel with words printed in red and black and with zippers along the two side edges allowing panels to be variously connected to form one sheet. "Printed in letterpress on a Vandercook SP 20. Type: Palatino and 10 line Narrow Antique Wood Type. Paper: Mohawk Superfine, white, 100 lb cover."--Colophon. "ZiPo is short for zipper poem."--Preface. Issued in two blue half-slipcases. Accordion binding variation with zippers at each fold.
Blizzard Book

Virginia Phelps, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

Multi-section slip case. Publication information from 23 Sandy website. Edition of 3. "Blizzard Book is a nod to the well-known book structure created by Hedi Kyle, so named because she created the structure during a blizzard. This Blizzard Book is focused on snow and wind. Six personal stories about the artist's experiences with blizzard conditions accompany booklets containing moveable structures which depict and explain the six basic types of snow identified by the International Commission on Snow and Ice in the early 1950's. Each type of snow is created by specific atmospheric conditions that are present when water droplets freeze and result in radically different crystal shapes. The personal stories are a walk down memory lane from days when the artist lived in colder parts of the United States. At least three of the various structures incorporated into this book are attributed to Hedi Kyle. The whole book fans into the shape of a snowflake and the text is read through frosted windows."-- 23 Sandy website (accessed October 23, 2018). Structures include: multi-section slip case, flag book, fishbone fold, Turkish map fold, double-inverted concertina. Made with Mohachi, Nyodo and Arches papers with Hollytex, Tyvek, & acetate.
A Humument : A Treated Victorian Novel

Thomas Phillips, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

367 pages : color illustrations "In 1966 the artist Tom Phillips set himself a task: to find a second-hand book for threepence and alter every page, by painting, collage or cut-up techniques, to create an entirely new version. He found his threepenny novel in a junk shop on Peckham Rye, south London. It was A Human Document (1892), an obscure Victorian romance by W.H. Mallock. First published in 1973, A Humument--as Phillips titled his altered book--quickly established itself as a cult classic. Since then, Phillips has been working towards a complete revision of the original A Humument, replacing pages in successive editions. This process is now finished. This final edition presents, for the first time, an entirely revised and complete version of A Humument and brings to a close half a century of artistic endeavor"--Front jacket flap. A revised version of an altered book created by Tom Phillips, using a copy of William Hurrell Mallock's novel "A human document". Case bound in light brown cloth-covered boards with blue and purple headbands. Title stamped in white on spine. Illustrated dust jacket. Includes "Notes on A humument" by Tom Phillips on 14 unnumbered pages following the text. Previous edition: 2012. Designed by Alice Wood. Gift of the RISD Museum. Curated title for Fleet Library Special Collections exhibition Stacked & Altered, summer 2022.
A Humument

Tom Phillips, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

367 pages : color illus. ; 18 cm. "After its first publication in book form in 1980, 'A Humument' rapidly became a cult classic. This new revised edition incorporates over fifty entirely new pages."--inside front cover. Gift of the RISD Museum. "A Humument has been a work in progress since 1966 when artist Tom Phillips set himself a task: to find a second-hand book for threepence and alter every page by painting, collage and cut-up techniques to create an entirely new version. The book he found was an 1892 Victorian obscurity A Human Document by W.H. Mallock and Phillips transformed it into A Humument. The first version was printed by the Tetrad press in 1973, and Phillips has continued to transform it, revise it and develop it ever since." -- Artist website (https://www.tomphillips.co.uk/humument). Curated title for Fleet Library Special Collections exhibition Stacked & Altered, summer 2022.
Snake

Maria G. Pisano, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

tunnel book variation with parallel concertina sides, enclosed in a printed wrapper; cover; accordion, folded out; colophon. A long, narrow tunnel book unfolds like a slithering snake.
Change = anything can happen next!

Bob Pliny, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

1 volume, 27 pages. Publication information from 23 Sandy Gallery website. "A meditation upon the nature of change. Change is everywhere and always. It is the ceaseless motion of things continually being transforming into other things."--23 Sandy Gallery website. Text and illustrations were handpainted using graphite and colored pencil, acrylics, photo copies and composition gold leaf. Layers of recycled book pages and wallpaper. Altered book, re-used hardcover book binding. Unique artists' book. Accordion fold, attached to back cover. Text extends out to 148.5 inches.
Wonderlandia

Daniel Pulido, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

11 unnumbered pages (some folded) : color illustrations (some foldout). Illustrated title page. Includes various types of illustrations including linocut and woodcut. Printed dark blue and red on beige paper. "1 aguafuertes con xilografía mdidas: 56 x 38 centímetros. relizadas en atelier alt schlachthof, Sgmaringen. Aemania, 2019". "6 linografías con xilografía 38 x 28 centímetros, realizadas en Ibagué Colombia, 2023". Text contains ornamental initials. Edition comprised of 4 copies. Handwritten poem with etchings, color woodcuts and linocuts, on mould made paper. Daniel Pulido is an artist and poet born in Colombia. He is a member and co-founder of the artist's group TallerContil in Nicaragua. He had lived in Nicarague since the Sandinist revolution. In 2021 he had to emigrate to Columbia and now lives in Ibagué. Handbound [sewn] by the artist. Front cover board has cutout window, revealing a print on first page.
Black Joy Archive. Vol. ii, Spring '22

Zoë Pulley, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

141 pages : illustrations, portraits "'black joy archive' began in May of 2020 in response to the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor & Ahmaud Arbery. Amidst a worldwide pandemic, Black individuals were forced to cope, reckon and process trauma inflicted time-and-time again by the racial epidemic this country has battled and protected for centuries."--cover. For more: www.blackjoyarchive.com "edition of 50, designed by zoë pulley, risograph printed by secret riso club, cover letterpressed by dwri ; typeset in dapifer, halyard & format" "27 contributors"--cover. Plastic spiral binding. Book is accompanied by a canvas bag with "bja, vol. ii", printed in green. Also two bja stickers inside bag. RISD GD MFA student.
Instant Books

Purgatory Pie Press, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

5 pamphlets : illustrations. Collection title from slipcase. A collection of five previously published "instabook" pamphlets. Each pamphlet autographed/ individually numbered in a limited edition. High anxiety/Team evil (2004) -- Brains & spines (2005) -- Enclosure exposure: data protection patterning (2007) -- Box (2008) -- Join the art party of the U.S.A. (2011). Library has Instant Books No 36.
An Alphabetical Accumulation of Approximate Observations

KameelahJanan Rasheed, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

90 unnumbered pages : illustrations Cover title. Edition of 150. "Bright pink and gritty, An Alphabetical Accumulation of Approximate Observations serves as a visual A-Z of dissonant experiences, ranging from Cumulative Caskets to Weaponized Watermelon. The pink-speckled texture paired with crude, black cut-out letters enforces a distinctly D-I-Y feel, with the textual centerpieces serving nonsense literature in a brief and digestible form."-- Printed Matter, Inc., viewed December 9, 2020 Pink coated wire spiral binding. Risograph printed.
No New Theories

KameelahJanan Rasheed, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

256 unnumbered pages : chiefly black and white illustrations First edition. "Interview by Jessica Lynne"--Colophon "1000 copies"--Colophon "No New Theories builds on Kameelah Janan Rasheed's accretive and associative installation work, bringing together xerox abstractions, poetic text fragments, and found as well as original photography to explore learning and unlearning as a spiritual, socio-political, ecological, and cognitive process. With No New Theories Rasheed freely assembles her own writing, autocorrect algorithms, and Oulipian poems (short texts generated with the help of imposed constraints) alongside visuals drawn from her personal image archive, pop culture, zoological journals, quranic verses, and other sources. The work gathers these threads with an emphasis on the processes of revision and improvisation as she considers the entropic potential of meaning in place of fixed definitions. At the heart of No New Theories is an expansive interview between Rasheed and Jessica Lynne, co-founder of the art criticism journal ARTS. BLACK. The conversation attempts to document their intellectual partnership, constructed through a layering process by which the original exchange is reworked and expanded with annotations, citations, and excerpted texts from writers Samuel R. Delany, Alexis Pauline Gumbs, Emily Dickinson, and others. Rasheed and Lynne take on questions of epistemology and pedagogy, the nature of research, knowledge-acquisition, as well as patience and fatigue. Building on the notion of the 'organic archive' -- both as a fictional organizing framework and as a score for possible experiences -- the two consider various historical, sociological, and cultural facets of Americana, proposing a multi-directional discourse around the wide permutations of Black experience. The book's title -- No New Theories -- locates Blackness as a multivalent and porous experience that cannot and should not be neatly theorized"-- provided by publisher, Printed Matter, Inc. Interview by Jessica Lynne (pages 140-160). Offset printed with thermography bookmark and screenprinted cover. Sewn binding.
Changing Face, Saving Face

Josephine Ren, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

6 unnumbered pages : chiefly color illustrations. Title from front and back cover. "Designed, printed, and bound by Josephine Ren at the Scripps College Press for Art135: Typography and Book Arts, Fall 2017, taught by Tia Blassingame. Accordion fold, Garamond, linoleum-cut blocks, BFK Rives & Hahnemueler paper, Vandercook."--Colophon. "Inspired by love for my culture and the immigrant & Chinese American experience."--Colophon. Edition of 15 signed and numbered copies. Pages [2]-[5] each have a single illustration of a mask which can be removed to reveal printed text. Library has copy no. 11. Instructor is RISD Alumna. Curated title for Fleet Library Special Collections exhibition By Hand: Women & Books Exhibit fall, 2021.
One Night

John Risseeuw, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

instant book, pamphlet stitch cover; cover; interior spreads. Sounds are experienced through nonsensical words, using type size and color to convey intensity.
Roadkill

John Risseeuw, John Nolt, Beauvais Lyons, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

[12], [8] pages : color illus. Fictional text on accordion folded pages with factual notes in booklet attached to accordion pages. "Roadkill was created during a collaboration between John Risseeuw, John Nolt, and Beauvais Lyons in the Spring of 2001 in the University of Tennessee School of Art printmaking studios... Lithography, screenprint, and letterpress were printed on Rives heavyweight text paper and Rives BFK cover."--Colophon. Edition of 50. Library has copy number 22. Sally Hume Lincoln Memorial Fund.
Art Rite, Vol. 10

Walter Robinson, Edit DeAk, Joshua Cohn, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

Vol. 10 : illustrations. Cover art: Joseph Beuys. 44 pgs.

Vol. 10: Guest editor, John Howell. Cover by Joseph Beuys. This special issue on performance includes performance photo documentation, and contributions from David Antin, Guerrilla Art Action Group, John Howell, Lucy Lippard, Walter Robinson, Diego Cortez and others. Some issues also have a distinctive title. – Printed Matter, Inc. Editor: Edit deAk ; Photo editor: Yuri. Co-founded and edited by Walter Robinson. No. 2 cover: William Wegman ; No. 7 cover: Vito Acconci ; No. 8 cover: Pat Steir ; No. 10 cover: Joseph Beuys ; Nos. 11-12 cover: Ed Ruscha ; No. 14 cover: Carl Andre. Library has: nos. 2, 7-12 & 14 (special issue on Artists' books) No. 9 Gift of Janice Woo, California College of the Arts. No. 2, 7, 8, 10 gift of Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Library.
Art Rite, Vol. 14

Walter Robinson, Edit DeAk, Joshua Cohn, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

Vol. 14 : illustrations. Cover art: Carle Andre. 77 pgs.

Vol. 14: The fourteenth issue of Walter Robinson and Edit deAk’s Art-Rite compiles unedited responses to the question “Why are you attracted to artists’ books? What are the best potentials and the basic difficulties concerning this art form?” The answers, from artists like John Baldessari, Daniel Buren, Alan Kaprow, Adrian Piper, Douglas Huebler, Richard Tuttle, et al. assert the relevance of artists’ books and celebrate their success. – Printed Matter, Inc. Some issues also have a distinctive title. Editor: Edit deAk ; Photo editor: Yuri. Co-founded and edited by Walter Robinson. No. 2 cover: William Wegman ; No. 7 cover: Vito Acconci ; No. 8 cover: Pat Steir ; No. 10 cover: Joseph Beuys ; Nos. 11-12 cover: Ed Ruscha ; No. 14 cover: Carl Andre. Library has: nos. 2, 7-12 & 14 (special issue on Artists' books) No. 9 Gift of Janice Woo, California College of the Arts. No. 2, 7, 8, 10 gift of Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Library.
Art Rite, Vol. 7

Walter Robinson, Edit DeAk, Joshua Cohn, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

Vol. 7 : illustrations. Cover art: Vito Acconci. 32 pgs.

Vol. 2: Articles on Max Kozloff, Yvonne Rainer and a centerfold spread on erotic art. – Printed Matter, Inc. Some issues also have a distinctive title. Editor: Edit deAk ; Photo editor: Yuri. Co-founded and edited by Walter Robinson. No. 2 cover: William Wegman ; No. 7 cover: Vito Acconci ; No. 8 cover: Pat Steir ; No. 10 cover: Joseph Beuys ; Nos. 11-12 cover: Ed Ruscha ; No. 14 cover: Carl Andre. Library has: nos. 2, 7-12 & 14 (special issue on Artists' books) No. 9 Gift of Janice Woo, California College of the Arts. No. 2, 7, 8, 10 gift of Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Library.
Art Rite, Vol. 8

Walter Robinson, Edit DeAk, Joshua Cohn, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

Vol. 8 : illustrations. Cover Art: Pat Steir. 32 pgs.

Vol. 7: Anna Canepa was the guest editor for this special video issue of Art-Rite. Cover by Vito Acconci with artists’ statements and other contributions on video art by Acconci, Antin, Baldessari, Jonas, Kaprow, Oppenheim, Serra, Iimura, Paik, Wilke and many others. Some issues also have a distinctive title. – Printed Matter, Inc. Editor: Edit deAk ; Photo editor: Yuri. Co-founded and edited by Walter Robinson. No. 2 cover: William Wegman ; No. 7 cover: Vito Acconci ; No. 8 cover: Pat Steir ; No. 10 cover: Joseph Beuys ; Nos. 11-12 cover: Ed Ruscha ; No. 14 cover: Carl Andre. Library has: nos. 2, 7-12 & 14 (special issue on Artists' books) No. 9 Gift of Janice Woo, California College of the Arts. No. 2, 7, 8, 10 gift of Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Library.
Vasilisa and the Witch's fire

Joanna Robson, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

1 volume, 4 pages. Title from cardboard slipcase cover. Pattern cloth over cover boards. Lasercut silhouette illustrations, with pages that fold out concertina style. In paper box, 14 x 14 x 2 cm. Certificate of authenticity ([6] pages ; illustrations ; 10 x 10 cm) includes instructions on how to display the book. "A papercut re-telling of Vasilisa the Beautiful's flight from the hut of Baba Yaga the Witch"--Certificate of authenticity. "Book no. 16 of 30 was completed by Joanna Robson in Edinburgh, United Kingdom, on 11/1/2019"--Certificate of authenticity.
I Desire You Would Remember the Ladies

Vanessa Nieto Romero, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

1 volume, 8 folded sheets of muslim fabric each containing one booklet. Title from cover and colophon. Edition of ten copies, numbered and signed by the artist. "The contemplative action of folding, unfolding and revealing is evoked in this book as a way to praise and remember the labor of immigrant women and how these historical facts resonate in our contemporary political arena. The texts are letterpressed printed, using polymer plates, and the photographs are laser printed on Washi Natural heavy weight of 80 g/m2. The covers are made with muslim fabric, which was used for the sac pillows in the installation. The sections are stitche and bound by hand. 'I Desire You Would Remember the Ladies' was made possible with a Graduate Studies Project Grant, awarded by Graduate Studies from the Rhode Island School of Design. This piece was printed and bound by Vanessa Nieto Romero, in collaboration with Cesar Faustino in an edition of 10 artist books. Summer of 2017. Providence, Rhode Island." --Colophon. Eight folded sheets of muslim fabric, sewn together as signatures. Inside each fold is a 15 x 15 cm paper leaf or booklet with printed text and illustrations. The signatures are laid into a tri-fold cover (18 x 64 cm) "This artist book includes documentation of the site specific installation 'I Desire You Would Remember the Ladies'.. During the fall of 2016, this installation was part of the exhibition 'Fort Adams: Drawing Parallels, Listening for Echoes;' a collaboration between Fort Adams State Park and the Rhode Island School of Design in Newport, RI."-- inside back cover.
Old Address Book

Barbara Rosenthal, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

48 unnumbered pages. Cover title. "March 1, 1985"--page [4] of cover. At head of back cover: list of four other books by B. Rosenthal. Photocopy of the author's old address book. Stapled. Black & white printing. Gift of Jan Baker.
Archipelago

Richard Rose, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

24 unnumbered pages. Cover title. Editor, Philip C. Rose ; Design, PopKitchen, Inc. Grandpa vs. Slinky -- Il Turista -- Eye lines -- Manna -- B[or]n -- Whack-a-mole -- The Indelible shrinking man -- Chordata -- Projection -- Brother's keeper -- At eighty. Collection of concrete poems. Letterpress printing, red and black. Typeface, Legacy Serif. Pop-it note mounted inside backcover, to Jan from the author. RISD Faculty. Gift of Jan Baker.
Bok 3b und Bok 3d : Rekonstruktion der im Verlag "Forlag ed." Reykjavík 1961 erschienenen Bücher

Dieter Roth, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

1 volume, 550 pages. Gesammelte Werke / Dieter Roth ; Bd. 7
Daily mirror : variante der als 'Quadratbuch' bel de Jong in Hilversum 1961 erschienen Mappe

Dieter Roth, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

462 pages : chiefly ill. (some color) ; 23 cm. "Vorwort zur ersten ausgabe (aus einem brief von dieter rot an den herausgeber Pieter Brattinga)"--page preceding p. 1. / "Foreword to the first edition (from a letter from Dieter Rot to the editor Pieter Brattinga)" - page preceding p. 1.
Ritual: A Book of Primitive Rites and Events

Jerome Rothenberg, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

14 pages. A Great Bear Pamphlet; no. 6. Cover title. Includes bibliographical references. Paper wrappers, stapled. Gift of Estera Milman, RISD Class of 1970. Estera Milman (RISD BFA Painting/Printmaking and Film, 1970) scholar of post-World War II avant-garde art. Founded Alternative Traditions in Contemporary Art (ATCA) at the University of Iowa, 1982, and served as its director until 2000. She is the author of many books, articles, interviews, and exhibition catalogs on Fluxus and No!art. In December 2018 she donated a selection books from her library to the Fleet Library at RISD. Curated title for Fleet Library Special Collections exhibition By Hand: Women & Books Exhibit fall, 2021.
Abstract Browsing

Rafaël Rozendaal, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

1 volume (unpaged) : color illustrations "Abstract Browsing is a project that consists of both software and physical objects. The browser plugin is a free software that anyone can install. When you turn it on, you can surf the web but all web content is reduced to colored rectangles. It shows you the skeleton of the web. It's like seeing an X-ray of a building, showing the structural elements. Web pages are built of many smaller elements, information is organized and categorized. Text, images, tables, things we use every day but are not aware of. I'm interested how our eyes move across the screen, how websites adapt, learn from your behavior, and change over time. Optimized to grab your attention, to never get boring, to tempt you to click and click and never leave. Websites are constantly maximizing their efficiency, separate from aesthetic concerns. Websites learn from users by trial and error. Technology asks new questions about composition. I'm looking for unusual compositions. Anti-compositions, unhuman compositions, compositions that humans would not have created on their own."--Www.newrafael.com/texts. Gift of Paul Soulellis, RISD Faculty.
Dirty Baby / by Ed Ruscha, pictures ; Nels Cline, music ; David Breskin, ghazals.

Edward Ruscha, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

A33, B33 leaves : color illustrations; 4 compact discs. Side A and Side B are inverted and bound tête-bêche style. United States dime is imbedded on the cover of side A. Concept & design by David Breskin. The accompanying spoken word CDs feature the author reading his ghazals, the texts of which are printed in this book. Side A: For Dave Hickey. Side B: For Kareen Rashad Sultan Kahn, February 12, 1987-August 6, 2007, in memoriam. SUMMARY "Dirty Baby" is a collaboration between the paintings of Ed Ruscha, the music of Nels Cline, and the poems of David Breskin. The title comes from the idea that when different art forms mate, the resulting offspring is no purebred but rather a wonderfully dirty and lovable mutt. The book is divided into two "sides" in the manner of a vinyl record: Side A offers a time-lapse history of Western Civilization; Side B charts the American misadventure in Iraq. The 66 Ruscha pictures in the book are drawn from two rarely seen bodies of work, the "Silhouettes" and the "Cityscapes," in which Ruscha uses "censor strips" in place of the words which normally occupy a prominent place in his pictures. Throughout, Breskin's lyrical verses, using the ancient Arabic form of the ghazal, serve as powerful companions to Ruscha's gorgeously reproduced paintings. To this mix Cline adds more than an hour-and-a-half of new music for a large ensemble: by turns rhapsodic and edgy, heartfelt and raucous, it ranges from acoustic impressionism to dense, dark electronica. Includes four CDs, two of music and two of spoken-voice poetry. Bookplate in recognition of Jean & Barnet Fain, for continued support of the College Annual Fund.

Curated title for RISD Archives & Special Collections exhibition Now Hear This, fall 2023.
Every building on the sunset strip

Edward Ruscha, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

1 volume unpaged.
Twentysix gasoline stations

Edward Ruscha, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

1 volume, 45 pages. "First edition, 1963, 400 numbered copies; Second edition, 1967, 500 unnumbered copies; Third edition, 1969, 3000 unnumbered copies; The Cunningham Press, Alhambra, California."--Title-page verso.
Distinctly Blurred: Words of Women Bookmakers

Jenny Sapora, Ture Bug Press, Women's Studio Workshop, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

[32] pages : illus. . Quotations from women bookmakers with annotations by J. Sapora. "Caslon 471 and Della Robia handset; author's illustrations and handwritings reproduced from a combination of woodcuts and photopolymer plates; text paper handmade by the author .. from rag and recycled poetry, then handstitched into Mohawk and Fabriano covers; 120 copies printed by J. Sapora"--Colophon. Library has copy no. 24 signed and numbered by the author.
Until Death Do Us Part

Thomas Sauvin, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

[100] pages : chiefly color illustrations. "Published ... in a second edition of 2000 China, September 2015."--colophon. "Until Death Do Us Part focuses on the unexpected role cigarettes play in Chinese weddings. As a token of appreciation, it is customary for the bride to light a cigarette for each and every man invited. The bride and the groom are then invited to play some cigarette-smoking games of an unprecedented ingenuousness. This publication pays homage to a tradition in which love and death walk hand in hand. These photos come from the Beijing Silvermine project, an archive of half a million negatives salvaged over the years from a recycling plant on the edge of Beijing." - Publisher's website. Text in Chinese and English. First edition of 1000 copies. Signed on page [3] of the cover by the author. Gold leaf on edges of the text. Book is housed in a paper cigarette box. Cover of the text is a color reproduction of cigarettes.
Auto Communication

Miriam Schaer, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

concertina fold spine with pamphlet sewn signatures, bound in paper covered boards, housed in a cloth covered clamshell box; book and box decorated with plastic toy trucks; box cover; cover; interior spreads; detail. Assorted bits of paper signs, pamphlets, business cards, flyers and other debris found on the streets of Manhattan are collaged to communicate street life in a busy city.
Sylvæ: fifty specimens printed directly from the wood with historical anecdotes & observations

Gaylord Schanilec, Ben Verhoeven, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

case bound with fold-out pages, bound in oak cover boards with leather spine and foil stamped spine label; cover; interior pages and spreads. Fifty specimens of timber trees on the farm property of Gaylord Shanilec are printed in full color woodcuts. Anecdotes about the making of the book, the trees, and the neighbors give personality to each tree sample. Ben Verhoeven is RISD alumnus.
How to Talk About Art

Miriam Schenitzer, Women's Studio Workshop, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

[22] pages : illus. Printed on double leaves. Printed cloth cover. Printing method: Offset, die cut.
Denial

Wilber Chip Schilling, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

pamphlet stitch; cover; interior pages and spreads. Various definitions of "denial" provide a broader understanding of the phenomenon of Elvis sightings.
Reminder: an open book test

Wilber Chip Schilling, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

accordion fold with 2 slipcases, one of which looks like the top of a pack of Marlboro cigarettes. Cover; interior pages, accordions, folded out; detail. Self-guided test to determine personality through color with an underlying suggestion that smoking addiction can be predicted based on psychological testing.
Where do we start?

Wilber Chip Schilling, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

maze book accordion variation with fold-out flaps, enclosed in a cloth covered portfolio with sleeves for CD's and housed in a cloth covered slipcase with foil stamped title; cover; title page; interior spreads . With drawings, photos and anecdotes, 2 men describe how they obtained an education despite the pitfalls of the educational institutions of their youth. Full stories are recorded on acompanying CD's.
The End of the Wasp Season

Erin K. Schmidt, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

1 artists' book. Edition of three numbered and signed copies. Title, artist's name, edition statement, and artist's email address written in pencil on paper board which attaches the cover boards in place. Publication date from artist's invoice. "The title of this work is taken from the title of the book 'the end of wasp season' which has been altered into the form of a wasp nest. Nine small whirlwind bound books are nestled into the brood cells, tucked away like larvae. Within the brood cells images of wasps have been rubber stamped in social groupings, but their numbers decrease leaving very few wasps in the cells at the end of the book. The nine small books address the issue of pesticide use. The first page of each book incites an immediate visceral response to a wasp encounter. The second and third pages consider prenatal exposure to a common household pesticide synergist, piperonyl butoxide, and its harmful effects on neurodevelopment as discussed in studies published in the Journal of American Academy of Pediatrics and Environmental Health Perspectives."--Artists' statement. "The imagery used in the nine small books are manipulated ultrasound images of both of my children."--Artists' statement. Library has copy no. 1. Curated title for Fleet Library Special Collections exhibition Stacked & Altered, summer 2022.
Reminders to myself : to act from the contradictions of how I feel about my vaccination, and, society in transition

Rachael Schragis, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

1 poster. "Spring 2021 event diagram" A series of post-it notes with contradictions related to the COVID-19 Pandemic and vaccination. Offset printing.
The Declaration of the Occupation of NYC

Rachael Schragis, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

1 poster. "As agreed upon by the General Assembly of NYC, on September 21st 2011, drafted by the call to action working group" Offset printing. Gift of Angela DiVeglia.
Understanding antisemitism : an analysis-in-process by Jews for Racial & Economic Justice (JFREJ): a grassroots, membership-based organization in New York City

Rachael Schragis, Rebecca Katz, Erin Brownstein McElroy, Audrey Sasson, Jews for Racial & Economic Justice, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

1 poster : illustrations (black & white and color). Starting in 2018 and into early 2021, more than 70 JFREJ members participated in a cultural organizing project to understand, struggle against, and imagine a world free from antisemitism. JFREJ members and artists Rachel Schragis and Rebecca Katz facilitated this process, which involved JFREJers of all ages and backgrounds, including members of our Mizrahi & Sephardi, Jews of Color, and Poor & Working Class Caucuses. A 40-page pamphlet on the subject by JFREJ was produced to accompany the poster. Library does not have the pamphlet. Offset printing. Flowchart. Gift of Angela DiVeglia.
your name is safe, you can rest now

Keri Miki-Lani Schroeder, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

5 folding panels . "Your Name is Safe, You Can Rest Now is a letter to my great-uncle Rikio who died in WWII explaining the impact that his death had on our family for generations. Every household in my family had this photograph of his funeral on their butsudan, a Buddhist altar. Rikio fought in the US Army Infantry 442nd Regiment which consisted almost entirely of second-generation Japanese Americans, and holds the record of being the most highly decorated unit in US Military History. While Rikio and others in Hawaii fought for the US, our family members on the mainland were held in internment camps. Rikio was the youngest of my grandmother's siblings, and was killed in action in 1944 at the age of 20"--accompanying materials.
Tidal Poems

Anne Schwartzburg, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

[24] pages : color ill. . "... painted with inks, watercolors & acrylics on Stonehenge cream paper ... in an edition of 60 this one being copy number 24."--Colophon. Signed by the artists.
Divisive and Diverse: A U.S. Voting Story

Scripps College Students, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

1 sheet : illustrations. Cover title. "Fall 2016." Edition of 80 copies. Creators: Vanessa Hayes, Eleanor Lynch, Samantha Nuno, Marissa Schow, Stephanie Sun, and Caroline Thomas. "Under the supervision of Professor Blassingame, the book was printed on Rives Lightweight paper and the book's container was printed on Langdell Handmade paper. it was letterpress printed using handset metal and wood type. The metal typefaces include Ehrhardt and Ehrhardt Italic, Gill Sans Small Caps, Fournier, Univers and wood type"--Colophon. Hedi Kyle fishbone fold book structure. An artists' book exploring voting rights and identity politics. "We created this book with the intent of shedding light on the history of voting rights within the United States. Our goal was to share voices not often heard within the mainstream and to build a more nuanced conversation then was offered during the polarizing 2016 election period." Library has copy no. 69. Instructor Tia Blassingame is RISD Alumna. Curated title for Fleet Library Special Collections exhibition By Hand: Women & Books Exhibit fall, 2021.
Baldio

I.E. S̆egota, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

20 unnumbered pages : all color illustrations Title from cover. "Dibugado por I.E. S̆egota para Concordia, MX, en la ciudad de Qro., en el año de la pandemia."--back cover. Signed in pencil by the artist on back cover. Accordion book, front side has one continuos illustration screen printed in green, orange, and purple on beige paper. Illustration on verso in blue on beige.
Carl Andre, Robert Barry, Daniel Buren, Jan Dibbets, Douglas Huebler, Joseph Kosuth, Sol Lewitt, Richard Long, N.E. Thing Co. Ltd., Robert Smithson, Lawrence Weiner

Seth Siegelaub, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

26 pages : illus. "Published 1 July 1969." Cover title. Catalog of an exhibition held July, August, September 1969. Text in English, French and German.
1 in 3: Women have been slapped, pushed, or shoved

Jaime Shafer, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

1 volume unpaged. Cover title. Limited edition of 25 copies, signed and numbered by the artist. "Printed at the Black Rock Press using a Vandercook Universal I and inkjet pigments. Letterpress printed from metal type and polymer plates on Stonehenge paper. Inkjet printed on Hahnemuhle Duo and Epson UltraSmooth Fine Art paper. Found and altered photographs"--Colophon. Hedi Kyle's flag book structure, bound in paper over boards. An outline of a woman's head is printed on the back of the accordion spine. Text letterpress printed in red and grey on flags and cover boards. Flags feature inset altered portraits of female victims of domestic violence. Issued in a blue cloth over boards slipcase. "1 in 3 was inspired by recent media attention focusing on domestic violence. Creating this piece proved more difficult than I expected. It forced me to reflect on my own experiences with domestic abuse. Those who have never been in an abusive relationship usually ask, 'Why did s/he stay?' Unless you have experienced it, it is hard to understand. This is not an all-inclusive representation of domestic abuse. However, I hope that the content of this book helps the viewer to better understand the victim's point of view and the lack of resources that often hinder a victim's ability to escape the situation.. The narrative on the covers and end sheets were inspired by personal experience, discussion with others who have experienced abuse, and victims' testimonies"--Colophon.
Three Cages

Joyce Cutler Shaw, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

accordion variation in triangular shape, with folded paper wrapper; book enclosed in wrapper; partially unfolded wrapper with closed book; book closed; page spread; partially unfolded; colophon. number 12 in an edition of 250, signed by the artist, paper engineering by Allwyn Bookbinder
Geography of Lost

Emma Sheffield, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

12 leaves (interleaved) : color illustrations. "Edition of 18"--Colophon Unryu white paper and Strathmore tracing paper pages with Haijiro cover paper. Digital images and letterpress text on two overlapping pamphlet stitched signatures in a trifold cover inside a Khadi paper phase box enclosure. Letterpress printing completed at a residency at In Cahoots, Petaluma, CA. "The text is a poem inspired by an article on Lost Person Behavior, the science of knowing where to search for someone based on which of 41 profiles applies. Implicit in my poem are hard things, feeling forlorn when contemplating a family history of depression, substance abuse, dementia, suicide and other mostly unseen manifestations of hopelessness. There are so many ways to be lost - the thesaurus entry lists over 60 words for lost including disoriented and vanished. Pulling apart and fracturing my poem's lines set them adrift amid images of my aerial snow-covered landscapes photographed on a winter flight and overlaid with askew grids."--Colophon Pamphlet stitch. Library has copy no. 5.
REF

Shift-Lab, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

1 container, 15 parts. "REF is an investigation into the erosion of the physical reference area of the library, and the fundamental shift taking place in the way we ask and answer questions. This project was produced by the members of Shift-lab: Katie Baldwin, Denise Bookwalter, Sarah Bryant, Macy Chadwick, and Tricia Treacy. Artists worked individually and collaboratively to produce elements inspired by the traditional components of a physical reference section: Almanac, Atlas, Bibliography, Biographical Dictionary, Chronology, Concordance, Dictionary, Directory, Encyclopedia, Gazetteer, Guidebook, Handbook, Index, Manual, and Yearbook."--Big Jump Press. "As we designed our responses to traditional elements of the reference section, we used several dates as loose organizational principles to tie our work together: 1963: The publication of Automation and the Library of Congress -- 1991: The Gore Bill, which led to the World Wide Web as we know it today -- 1993: the publication of Planning Second Generation Automated Library Systems and the release of Mosaic, the web browser that popularized the World Wide Web -- 2001: the arrival of Wikipedia."--Shift-lab. REF components are housed together in a custom archival document flip top box with an ascending accordion folder structure. Printing methods include letterpress, risograph, screenprinting, laser printing, and digital printing. Binding formats include concertina, spiral bound, document binder, pamplet, double pamplet, folder, paper envelope.
Shift

Shift-Lab, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

1 box, contains 5 books and 3 folded cards. Each artist created a small book of identical dimensions to reflect her interpretation of the word "SHIFT". Edition limited to 20 copies, numbered and signed by artists. Five books issued in drop-lid box, covered in grey fabric with paper title label and magnetic closure. CONTENTS 1825-1862-1918 (Shift) / K. Baldwin -- Shape shifting / Denise Bookwalter -- Shift in position / Sarah Bryant -- A shift in perspective / Macy Chadwick -- Redirecting shift / Tricia Treacy.
Goat Music

David Shrigley, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

1 audio disc : 33 1/3 rpm. + 1 booklet (16 unnumbered pages : illustrations . Title from slipcase. Project co-ordinated by Marina Vranopoulou for the Deste Foundation. "Goat music is the documentation for David Shrigley's film, Laughterhouse, about goats whose cries sound like humans .. Comprising a picture disc and an artist's book, and published in a limited edition of 1000, Goat music includes recordings of the goats in the film as well as the soundtrack Shrigley composed to accompany the opening performance in Hydra."--Publisher's website.
Konglish

Jana Sim, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

28 unnumbered pages : color illustrations. Limited edition of 32 copies, signed and numbered by the artist. "This book is about the differences between how language is observed and interpreted. My focus is on three languages which are Korean, English and Konglish (Korean + English) ... There are short, humorous stories in each language that I have personally experienced based on the differences of the languages and how they function in different cultures ... Two laser cut volvelles ... have mixture of both Korean and English alphabets. The book will be very different depending on what language you are able to speak ... If you understand both languages, you will be able to compare the two sides, understand both sides of my stories"--Artist's statement at the 23 Sandy Gallery Booksellers' website, viewed on April 20, 2015. "'Konglish' is an artist book about living with two languages, by Jana Sim. Images and text were written, printed, and bound in this unique structure, a combining of two existing forms: the Drum Leaf and Dos-a-Dos, by the artist at Columbia College Chicago's Center for Book & Paper Arts 2010. The images and text were letterpress printed using polymer plates on Somerset white velvet, except for the images of Korean snacks, which were inkjet printed. The volvelles were laser cut on Canford Royal Blue paper and Grafix Clear-Lay Red acetate"--Colophon. Letterpress printed in black, red, and blue, with Korean and English text alternately blind-impressed without ink. Issued in a three-panel purple cloth over boards wrapper with string and button closure and the artist's name debossed on the lower right panel. English and Korean.
Language Möbius

Jana Sim, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

1 sheet in box. Title from container. Edition of 15. "Language Möbius is about my speaking process. The loop in my brain goes like this: hearing English, thinking in Korean, translating, then speaking in English. Language Möbius can be cut in half through the center twice. With each cut the sentences of the layers are cut in half, making them illegible. The final two rings lined together symbolize the two language tangled up in my head while in translation, which is why the sentences can't be read. The Möbius strip was letterpress printed using polymer plates on Somerset at Columbia College Chicago's Center for Book and Paper Arts 2011."--Colophon. Strip laid in a turquoise linen fabric covered open top box. Red paper on the bottom of the box. A plastic sleeve encloses the box. Colophon mounted inside the sleeve. Red paper with mounted title slip on the top of the sleeve. Text on strip letterpress printed in blue, gray, and red. Library has copy 13.
In And Around The House

Laurie Simmons, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

[16] leaves : all ill. "Designed by Yolanda Cuomo"--Inside front cove c. 2 Gift of CEPA Gallery.
Field Guide to Birds of the West Indies

Taryn Simon, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

606 pages : illustrations (some color), maps ; 30 cm. Continuation of: Taryn Simon: Birds of the West Indies, ISBN: 9783775736633. Contents: Wonderful machines / Nico Baumbach -- Field guide to birds of the West Indies -- James Bond's correspondence, Awards, and Artifacts; Maps and Publications -- A speck of dust in that black hole / Daniel Baumann. Includes bibliographical references.
Yes, I Answered You Last Night

Rosemary V. Simpkins, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

1 accordion pleated volume (16 pages) : illustrations. "Elizabeth Barrett Moulton Barrett and Robert Browning, one hundred fiftieth wedding anniversary celebration, 1846 12th September 1996"--Outer envelope. ""Yes, I answered you last night ...", from Elizabeth Barrett's lyric 'The Lady's Yes', captures the essence of two people's dreams of a happy future life together in spite of very conservative traditions and strong family opposition"--page [1] of accordion pleated text in folded postcard. "The semi-transparent printed sleeve portrays the imposing facade of the St. Marylebone Parish Church. The secret book slips out of the sleeve, revealing eight righs on either side (eight being a symbol of two rings, the infinity of the circle, and two lives linked forever). The rings on the right are Robert Browning's, and contain excerpts from the Marriage liturgy. The rings on the left are Elizabeth Barrett's, who was standing on her future husband's left. The first rings on both sides contain information taken directly from the Marriage record, followed by excerpts from Elizabeth Barrett's Sonnets from the Portuguese, numbers XXII, XXIV, XXV and XLIV. ... As the rings part, they lead the way to the intimate area of the altar, as a couple approach it"--page [1] of accordion pleated text in folded postcard. "First edition no. 109/150"--Cover page [4]. Postcard comes in envelope and book comes in semi-transparent printed sleeve portraying the facade of the St. Marylebone Parish Church, both of which are contained in a larger envelope (16 x 20 cm.).
Color of Day, Sound of Night

García Sinclair, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

22 unnumbered pages Edition of 20 numbered and signed copies. Poems. Digital printing, perfect bound. Library has copy 9, signed and dated by the author. Purchased at Unbound 2018. RISD Alumna, BFA Sculpture 2015, MFA Printmaking, 2018. Fleet Library at RISD Alumni Collection.
It Wasn't Little Rock

Clarissa Sligh, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

1 volume (unpaged) : illustrations (some color) . Commemorates the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's Brown vs. Board of Education (1954) decision. "This softcover edition of 150 books was printed on an Indigo Digital Press"--Colophon. Author describes her family's experience with racism and school integration. As a high school student, the author was named lead plaintiff in Clarissa Thompson et al. v. County School Board of Arlington County (June 1956), a school desegregation class action suit filed in U.S. District Court. Metal spiral binding. Signed by the author on the title-page. Curated title for Fleet Library Special Collections exhibition By Hand: Women & Books Exhibit fall, 2021.
Transforming Hate: an artists' book

Clarissa Sligh, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

108 unnumbered pages (including covers) : color illustrations. "March 2016"--Colophon. Limited edition of 1000 copies. The Montana Human Rights Network asked artists to make artwork that would "incorporate, respond to, or transform" pages from "The White Man's Bible", a white supremacist book.--from page [2]. PROVENANCE: Author's autograph on front book flap. Perfect bound softcover. Four-color offset lithography. Illustrated paper wrappers with flaps. Housed in foldout die-cut box with gold foil origami crane inserted into cover slot. Signed and numbered by the artist on book's front cover flap -- Description from http://vampandtramp.com/finepress/s/clarissa-sligh.html "Book, cover and case designed by Susan Rhew Design, Inc. and printed by Blue Ridge Printing, both of Asheville, NC."--Colophon. Library has copy no. 243. Curated title for Fleet Library Special Collections exhibition By Hand: Women & Books Exhibit fall, 2021.
What's Happening with Momma?

ClarissaT. Sligh, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

[7] pages : illustrations. A bookwork, consisting of one cardboard sheet accordion folded to form various views of a house, with a poem printed on accordion folded cards which unfold to form a stairway in front of the picure on each page. Cover title. Printing method: Silkscreen, letterpress. Accordion fold book. Edition of 50, signed by the artist.
Wrongly Bodied Two

Clarissa Sligh, Women's Studio Workshop, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

112 pages : illustrations, portraits. "Wrongly bodied two" relates the stories of Jake, a contemporary white male imprisoned in a woman's body as he transitions from female to male and Ellen Craft, a 19th century black woman who escapes slavery by passing as a white man. While photographing Jake's transition, Sligh becomes conscious of society's psychological response to the transgressive act of changing one's identity. Recalling Ellen Craft's journey to freedom, Sligh re-examines her own fears of crossing the forbidden boundaries of gender, race and class."--artist's webpage. "Produced during an artist residency at the Women's Studio Workshop .. The book was printed with silkscreen and inkjet pigment ink on Rives Heavyweight. The type fonts are Clarendon, Bodoni, Gill Sans Gold, Futura, and Bookman Old Style. This is number .. of 46"--Colophon. Grey cloth cover binding with decorated pattern in green. Case binding, handsewn signatures, binding. Library has copy 36 of an edition of 46.
Purgatoys

Esther Smith, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

tri-fold brochure with cut flaps and pull up extension, expandable fan, concertina mobius strip, volvelle, paper mobile; all 5 "books' slotted into folder; cover; interior spread, two 'toys'; details of 'toys'. Five books, letterpress printed, with movable parts that can be manipulated, hung, or constructed like toys.
Book 91

Keith A. Smith, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

1 volume, 24 leaves each strung together with linen cords. An art work, without printing except for the embossed t.p. Termed a "string book" in the artist's Structure of the visual book, 1984, p. 95. Its leaves are strung together with linen cords and punched with holes to create varying effects of light and shadow when viewed with a single light source.
The Book of Neglects: highlights of a week

Patricia Smith, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

dos à dos accordion fold book with pop-up elements; cover; colophon; interior spreads; accordion, folded out. For one week the artist tracks the degree to which she has neglected her job, art, home, friends, husband, and children, using pop-up strips and color coding.
On the Other Side

PatriciaM. Smith, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

15 unnumbered pages (single folded sheet) : illustrations . Issued in an edition of 50. Library has no. 36. Issued in a screen printed folded box. Double folded accordion fold book with text and imagery running in both directions. Can be opened up and viewed as a single continuous image. "Screen printed on Rives Lightweight paper"--Colophon. SUMMARY: "On the Other Side is a collaborative work between French artist Claire Fouquet and American book artist Patty Smith that addresses issues of emigration. The concept originated as a response to the fences built by the United States to keep out illegal immigrants and by the French government's policy on immigration. The book is a two-sided accordion with the recto side listing the fears that might be experienced by the emigrant. The cut windows entice the viewer to turn the concertina inside out. The verso side describes potential advantages, opportunities, and joys that might lead one "to appreciate the unfamiliar". The work is also a comment on internal anxiety that prevents us from moving forward in our personal lives. Some obstacles, seemingly threatening and impossible to surmount, may be the product of our fear of failure or the unfamiliar. These illusions, manufactured by uncertainty, can be transcended through personal resolve and collective effort." -- Women's Studio Workshop website
he likes you

Indigo Som, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

1 volume (unpaged) : illus. Work consists of three different sized folded paper "fortune tellers". An additional "colophon continuation" leave is also enclosed in the folded paper sleeve which is bound together with pink netting. ".. photocopied & letterpress printed from plates & linocuts .."--Colophon. ".. produced with a grant from Women's Studio Workshop, funded in part by the New York State Council on the Arts."--Colophon. Edition of 100 copies. Signed by the author. Library has copy no. 9.
he likes you

Indigo Som, Women's Studio Workshop, Bitchy Buddah Press, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

1 volume (unpaged) : illus. Work consists of three different sized folded paper "fortune tellers". An additional "colophon continuation" leave is also enclosed in the folded paper sleeve which is bound together with pink netting. ".. photocopied & letterpress printed from plates & linocuts .."--Colophon. ".. produced with a grant from Women's Studio Workshop, funded in part by the New York State Council on the Arts."--Colophon. Edition of 100 copies. Signed by the author. Library has copy no. 9.
Urgency Reader

Paul Soulellis, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

1 volume, 252 pages. "Urgency Reader is a quick assembling of texts, risograph printed in Pawtucket, RI, and bound as a book at the last minute to launch at the Odds and Ends Art Book Fair at Yale University Art Gallery on December 6, 2019. Suggested topics from the open call included: urgency, craft, queerness, gender, transformation, kinship, race, survival.."--cover wrapper.
Looking

Karen Spears, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

[13] leaves : all illustrations. Cover title. Illustration on cover. Printing method: Offset, hand colored. Binding: Saddle stitch signature. Codex structure.
A Passage

Buzz Spector, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

case bound in hard cover with silk covered boards; cover; top view of text block; interior pages and spreads, detail; colophon. Book consists of 181 identical pages bound and torn vertically by the artist. The page stubs gradually increase and the resulting text block forms a triangular shape. Content of the text is blurry until the full pages can be completely read. Curated title for Fleet Library Special Collections exhibition Stacked & Altered, summer 2022.
Details: closed to open

Buzz Spector, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

perfect bound with soft cover; cover; title page; interior pages. Close up photographs individual hands from a mob of people attending a peace rally reveal the attitude of the individual, closed or open…anger or pacifism.
Public / Private Peace: selections from the Swarthmore College Peace Collection

Buzz Spector, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

saddle stitch with plastic translucent cover and cloth covered spine; interior pages. Catalog featuring several installations of work based on photographs in the Swarthmore Peace Collection.
The Position of the Author

Buzz Spector, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

saddle stitch with soft cover; cover; title page; interior spreads and pages. Portraits of various authors, as typically found on book dust jackets, convey the personality of the author through body language, pose, and props. Behind these portraits are scenes of various personal library collections, reading spaces and bookshelves.
Time Square

Buzz Spector, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

screw post binding with mylar front cover, and paper wrapper; cover; detail. Results from a Google search of phrases relating to the concept of "time" were quantified and arranged in decreasing order and printed on 60 pages. When bound, the pages were then hand torn in decreasing amounts, revealing an altered version of the original. Curated title for Fleet Library Special Collections exhibition Stacked & Altered, summer 2022.
Unpacking my Library

Buzz Spector, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

accordion fold, dos à dos; cover; interior pages. All the books in the artist's library were arranged in order of size, from the tallest to the shortest, on a single shelf in a gallery room large enough to hold them.
Shared Memories

Lori Spencer, Wendy Spencer, Women's Studio Workshop, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

[20] pages : illus. (some color) . ".. printed in 1998 by Lori Spencer.."--Colophon. In binder with printed title on spine. Printing method: Silkscreen, letterpress. Binding: Long stitch in soft cover. Library has copy 6 of an edition of 90 signed & numbered copies.
Honey B Hive

Jessica Spring, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

6 leaves : illustrations. Author statement from inside front cover. Limited edition of 66 copies, signed and numbered by the artist. "Honey B Hive is a sweet B specimen, displaying a hive full of Bs from the collection of vintage wood and metal type at Springtide Press. The book is handset, letterpress printed and bound between velour foil-stamped covers, all inspired by one very painful, then itchy, sting between the toes."--Colophon. Book consists of six leaves interleaved so when the book covers are spread open a honeycomb is formed. Letter "B" type specimens printed on yellow paper. "(in several computer languages, including Unicode, B=66)."--colophon.
Memory Lame

Jessica Spring, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

1 portfolio (5 folded sheets). Title from portfolio. Statement of responsibility taken from publisher's website. Edition of 25 copies, signed by the artist. "The contents of Memory Lame build from a central pentagonal memory palace composed of metal ornaments, cuts and borders. Opposite are excerpts from Rhetorica ad Herennium printed on Magnani paper. Forgetfulness from Questions about angels by Billy Collins, ©1991, is reprinted by permission of the University of Pittsburgh Press. Common mnemonic devices tease our memory, printed on sheets of handmade Saint-Armand. Tucked in each chapter are illustrations of plants that aid cognitive function, printed on transparent abaca. Text set in geometric shapes share the artist's grueling experience of cognitive and memory testing. Memory Lame is composed of metal, wood type and photo-polymer plates letterpress printed by Jessica Spring with binding by Gabby Cooksey. Abaca paper was handmade in residency at the Morgan Conservatory. The project was possible with Tacoma Arts Commission funding and support from the University of Puget Sound."--Colophon. "Memory Lame focuses on retention and loss of memory. The book structure must be built by the reader with content emanating from a central, pentagonal memory palace-the most common mnemonic place system-aided by cues of geometric shapes and large numerals. Surrounding the palace are excerpts from Rhetorica ad Herennium, the oldest known book on rhetoric and memory. Billy Collins' poem 'Forgetfulness' is repeated in each chapter, the text moving from black to gray as the reader circles the book. Common mnemonic devices tease the memory, printed on sheets of handmade Saint-Armand. Tucked in each chapter are illustrations of plants that improve cognitive function, printed on transparent abaca. Text set in geometric shapes share the author's grueling experience of cognitive and memory testing."--Artist's statement, Vamp & Tramp website.
Warped Words

Bonnie Stahlecker, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

[1] folded sheet ([6] leaves) : color ill.. Title from cover. "Bonnie Stahlecker started this book in 1998 while she was visiting artist at Arizona State University. Using Bembo Roman and Lydian Bold Italic from their great type collection, she printed ten copies on Somerset book cover, with intaglio and paste paint providing additional layers. After four years on the shelf, it was finally finished in 2002 at the artist's Indiana studio (no lie)."--Colophon. Numbered, signed and dated in pencil by the artist. Six page accordion fold with three reversed pop-ups. Pop-up structure prevents fully extending sheet. Folded sheet mounted to red cloth boards, in a paper open case. Library has copy no. 4. Sally Hume Lincoln Memorial Fund.
Boundless

David Stairs, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

1 volume. "A humorously titled small book whose 360 degree spiral binding makes its contents impossible to view." --Printed Matter website (viewed Jan. 22, 2020).
The Third Person

Thomas Starr, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

48 unnumbered pages. Book may be read beginning at either end. Brown paper wrappers; title printed on removable rubber band strip. Perfect binding. "Publication made possible by a grant from Rhode Island School of Design"--title page verso. Former RISD faculty. Gift of Jan Baker.
Auto Record : Green Kill

Tyler Starr, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

20 unnumbered pages : illustrations. Title from cover. Inside covers included in pagination. Offset printed. Commercial accordion fold binding. "Edition of 800"--23 Sandy Gallery website. "'Auto Record' is an attempt to digest thousands of pages of declassed documents crated by the FBI in relation to the controversial incident in North Carolina on November 3rd, 1979, commonly known as the Greensboro Massacre. The accordion book format is used to visualize two processions of vehicles involved in the incident (one side of the booklet is the KKK and associates caravan, while the other depicts vehicles connected to the Communist Workers Party's anti-klan parade). Information provided includes weapons retrieved from the incident, a schematic of the bullet holes in the Channel 12 news car, and FBI summaries of the five individuals killed on that day. Information and imagery is all accurately based on or directly collaged from the primary documents."--23 Sandy Gallery website. Gift of Claudia Covert ; 2nd copy gift in honor of Ariel Bordeaux.
This is an Emergency! : A Reproductive Rights + Gender Justice Portfolio

Meredith Stern, Judy Kashoff, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

1 portfolio : illustrations (chiefly color) ; 47 cm. Colophon page title. This portfolio contains a hand sewn 'zine' with text by Meredith Stern and Judy Kashoff, a colophon page, and a collection of 17 prints. Horizonal and vertical red bands surround the colophon, text, and 17 prints. "Seventeen artists created a print for this project. Third Termite Press in Pittsburgh printed the colophon and Ladyfingers Letterpress printed the covers. The participants are: several members of the Justseeds Cooperative including: Melanie Cervantes, Thea Gahr, Bec Young, Favianna Rodriguez, Mary Tremonte, Molly Fair, and myself (Meredith Stern). Also participating are: Ian Cozzens of Secret Door Projects, Kristina Brown, Delia Kovac, Emmy Bright, Lois Harada, Erin Rosenthal, Katrina Silander Clark, Arley Rose Torsone, Sam Merritt, and Olivia Horvath."--[see website listed below]. "There is also a written portion of this project which takes the form of a small hand sewn 'zine'. The zine includes interviews with: Judy Kashoff, Gina Glantz, Peg Johnston, Heather Booth, Ken Rinker, Virginia Reath, Elizabeth Esris, and Judith Arcana. Also included is a comic by Susan Simensky Bietila, which was originally printed in World War 3 Illustrated. There are a wide variety of experiences and stories that are untold, and this is an attempt to share some of them. The stories involve people's personal stories as well as their experiences working for equality through political and grassroots movement work. This aspect of the project has an inter-generational component; people in their 20's and 30's interviewed their mentors/elders. Women, feminists, gay, and queer identified people are largely absent from most historical texts and this project will tell some of our stories."--http://www.abortioncarenetwork.org/news/this-is-an-emergency Limited edition of 125 copies. Library has copy no. 13. Gift of Meredith Stern. Includes Press Release.
Cyborgs

Paul Sunday, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

saddle stitch with soft cover; cover; interior spreads and pages. Black and white photographs of part human, part robot women.
Grass

Kim Su-Yong, Xianlu Yi, Brother Anthony, Special Collections, and Fleet Library

1 volume, 12 pages. Limited to of 50 copies. Accompanied by folded sheet booklet ([6] pages ; folded to 13.5 x 10.5 cm) "Kim Su-yong, a poet who explored love and freedom as poetic and political ideals"--page [3] of cover. Wooden hardcover. Cover has blind carved designs. Title and author information embossed into covers. Accordion, flag book binding. "Kim su-yong is one of the most exceptional poets of modern Korea. He died at the relatively young age of 48 in 1968, but his poetry has become a symbol of freedom and revolution during the democratization of Korea. His last poem, "Grass," only published after his death, has provoked particular critical attention and debate. Depending on the viewpoint of the literary figures and their political beliefs, the meaning and the value of Kim's poetry showed a great range of differing opinions."--Datz Press webpage.

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