Artists’ Books

Large-scale pop-up book with a dark haired woman behind a huge display of food. She wears a green dress and purple flowers in her hair and turns to look over her left shoulder. The food explodes forward with bowls of soup, skewered meat, banana leaves, pig tail, and more.
The Library and Research Center (LRC) holds more than 800 unique and limited-edition books by women artists in a variety of mediums, complementing an additional 200 held in the museum’s fine arts collection.

An artist’s book is a work of art in book form. Objects in this medium can be entirely handmade or mass-produced and vary in the degree of focus on content, form, and materials. Many artists encourage readers to rethink the nature of the book and reading in new and unexpected ways. Contemporary artists’ books range from fine craft letterpress works to one-of-a-kind or limited-edition art objects presented in a wide variety of materials and book formats. Artists incorporate typography, papermaking, paper engineering, bookmaking, design, fine art, graphics, creative writing, and digital media into their book works.

Artists’ Books at the LRC

Artists’ books have been an important part of the Library and Research Center since the museum’s beginnings. The collection formally started in 1986, when NMWA founder Wilhelmina Cole Holladay purchased Caroline (1985) by Swiss surrealist Meret Oppenheim. The museum collection now comprises more than 1,000 unique books and limited editions created by women artists in a variety of formats, from scrolls and accordions to codices and sculptures. The library holds over 800 of these artists’ books, including works by prominent book artists such as Ida Applebroog, Mirella Bentivoglio, Michele Burgess, Julie Chen, Laura Davidson, Johanna Drucker, Colette Fu, Carol Schwartzott, Clarissa Sligh, and Kiki Smith.

In addition to artists’ books, the library contains print materials about the book arts.

Explore Artists’ Books in the LRC , opens in new tab 
Meret Oppenheim, Caroline, 1985; Artist’s book with letterpress, colored etchings, and embossing, 5 1/2 x 11 in.; National Museum of Women in the Arts, Gift of Wallace and Wilhelmina Holladay; © ProLitteris Zurich, courtesy of Lisa Wenger and Martin A. Bühler, Meret Oppenheim Estate; Photo by Lee Stalsworth
Four black silhouetted figures emerge from the white, open pages of a pop-up book. They appear to be engaged in manual labor. Two of the figures wear full floor-length skirts.
Kara Elizabeth Walker, Freedom, A Fable: A Curious Interpretation of the Wit of a Negress in Troubled Times, 1997; Ink on paper, laser-cut black card stock, leather binding, 8 1/4 x 9 1/2 in.; National Museum of Women in the Arts, Gift of Marla Prather; © Ellie Bronson
A small antique amber jar and a wooden scroll holder are arranged alongside a long scrolled paper with handwriting on one side and the faint hint of collaged sewing patterns, maps, and newsprint on the reverse side.
M. Jordan Tierney, “She keeps her secrets in an amber jar so the light won’t fade them.”, 2003; Mixed media, Scroll: 5 x 294 in.; jar: 11 x 4 x 4 in.; National Museum of Women in the Arts, Gift of June Rosner; © Jordan M. Tierney
An open accordion-style book with four panels. On each panel is newsprint over which is a black and white photograph of a person. Under each figure is written, from left to right: melancholy, anger, hope, peace.
Laura Davidson, Art History Lessons, 2005; Wood, metal, lantern slides, postcards, travel guide pages, 5 x 18 in.; National Museum of Women in the Arts
A wide and narrow book opened to display pages with the word FRAGILE in red block letters. A red tassel hangs down the center of the book and the cover is wrapped with wire mesh.
Mirella Bentivoglio, The World after September 11, 2001: A Reinforced Book, 2001; Wire, string, paper, 20 x 3 in.; National Museum of Women in the Arts, Gift of the artist; © Mirella Bentivoglio
An open accordion-style book in the shape of a house. On each page is a black and white graphic background and a washed-out black and white photograph. Beneath each image is typed text on accordion folded paper.
Clarissa Sligh, What’s Happening with Momma?, 1988; Silkscreen and letterpress on paper, 6 1/2 x 11 1/2 in.; National Museum of Women in the Arts, Gift of Clayre Baessler Liammari; © Clarissa Sligh
Large-scale pop-up book with a dark haired woman behind a huge display of food. She wears a green dress and purple flowers in her hair and turns to look over her left shoulder. The food explodes forward with bowls of soup, skewered meat, banana leaves, pig tail, and more.
Colette Fu, Dai Food, from “We are Tiger Dragon People,” 2008-2013; UlInk, paper, cloth, 9 x 25 x 10.5 in.; National Museum of Women in the Arts, Purchased with the annual contributions of NMWA Book Arts Fellows; © Colette Fu; Photo by Lee Stalsworth
A brightly colored book displayed open whose pages decrease in size toward the center. To the left, a vertical rectangle on which is depicted five stylized faces with black hair, medium-dark skintone, green eyes, and no mouths. A black cat with green eyes is also among the faces.
Priya Pereira, The Evil Eye, cover and interior, 1999; Artist’s book published by Pixie Bks
An open book with Arabic text on a dark blue background divided into horizontal sections by decorative silver border. Cut-out arabesques extend out beyond the edge of the book to the right and left.
Elisabetta Gut, Le mille e una notte (A Thousand and One Nights), 1984; Wood, paper cutting, golden leaf, ink, and photocopy of a page from Koran, 8 x 14 x 2 in.; Gift of Elisabetta Gut; © Elisabetta Gut
An open maroon portfolio with contents displayed upright in center. Upright panel is an abstract image with red circles connected by a curving green line on a mustard yellow background.
Julie Chen, True to Life, 2004; Letterpress printed using pressure plates, woodblocks, and photopolymer plates; Plexiglas, wood, 9 3/4 x 15 in.; National Museum of Women in the Arts, Gift of an anonymous donor; © Julie Chen
A beige book with orange binding and text in needlepoint on cover that reads, "Sampler Emily Dickinson Kiki Smith." A beige and orange book sleeve is to the left and a large print of flowers, insects, and faces is in the background.
Kiki Smith, Sampler, 2007; Letterpress printed text and images; thread-embroidered cover, leather binding hand-stamped in gold, 11 1/4 x 7 1/4 in. overall; National Museum of Women in the Arts, Museum Purchase; Photo by Lee Stalsworth
Hung on a dark wood, T-shaped form, a child's ivory-colored silk dress serves as a canvas for photographs, calligraphy, stitching, and the words of Anne Frank.
Yani Pecanins, Los dos lados (Both sides), 1998; Ink on silk, thread, clothespins, wood, 11 x 18 1/4 x 9 in.; National Museum of Women in the Arts, Museum purchase: Library and Research Center Book Acquisition Fund; © Yani Pecanins
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